You Can't Burn the Past to the Ground
by Data Girl 3
Summary: She thought the nightmare was over. She thought she was finally safe. She thought the dangers that had plagued her life were gone for good. She thought wrong. Final story in the Boho Kids arc. Rated for a few dark, disturbing scenes.
1. Nightmare

**AN:** Well, readers, the day has finally arrived: the start of the conclusion to the Boho Kids arc. I feel the need to warn everyone now that, if this story progresses the way it's mapped out in my mind, it will be a rather depressing and dark story up until the end, so I'm going to do my best to make this story even bigger than Sunsets and Sunrises was. And so, I present the last story in the series. Please enjoy.  


* * *

A widely smiling Emily stepped off the elevator, carrying the paper shopping bag in her cane-free hand. She'd had an eventful all-day outing at the mall with Maureen and Joanne, and had even managed to find a boxed collection of classic but hard-to-find movies that Mark often said had first inspired him to become a filmmaker. She couldn't wait to surprise him with it.

As she opened the door to the Condo, however, the smile quickly disappeared from her face. Something was wrong. She could sense it. An eerie feeling filled the entire room, almost like the unnatural calm that preceded a terrible storm, and not just because no lights were on in the apartment.

"Hello?" Emily called out to the dark, empty room. "Is anybody home?" When no one replied, she reached out to turn on the light, only to find the switch wasn't working. She was really starting to get worried now.

"Mark, are you there?" Emily tried again to get some response from her family. "Rodolfo? Zack? Lucia? Penny? Is anyone there?" When her only answer was silence once again, she stumbled over to the kitchenette. Rummaging around the junk drawer, her hand soon closed on the flashlight that was stored there for blackouts. Casting the light around the Condo, she finally noticed the lamp had fallen to the floor. Under the assumption that Maya, the family cat, had knocked it over, she moved toward the fallen lamp to set it upright again, but as she moved across the floor, she suddenly became aware that she was stepping in some sort of puddle, creating a faint splashing sound with each footstep. When she shone the flashlight down at the puddle, a sick feeling immediately hit her when she took note of the fact that the puddle was a dull red color. It was blood. Starting to tremble, Emily followed the trail of blood with her eyes to the corner of the room. There, staring back at her with sightless eyes, were Rodolfo and Zack, their bodies completely covered with fresh blood.

A strangled cry escaped from Emily's throat as she stumbled backwards. As she did so, she tripped over something that was lying on the floor. When she turned the flashlight onto the thing she'd tripped over, her anguish increased tenfold upon seeing it was Mark, spread-eagled on the ground. A small red pool was circling his head, made from the now-ceased flow of blood protruding from the hole in his forehead.

"No," Emily moaned, reaching out a shaking hand to lightly touch his cheek, which was even paler then usual. He was stone-cold to the touch. "No! No, Mark!" Emily could feel her voice start to break as the uninhibited tears spilled down her cheeks. This couldn't be happening. Mark, Zack, Rodolfo; three of the most important people in her life. They couldn't be….

At that very moment, Emily heard the sound of someone laughing behind her, and her body immediately stiffened. She knew that laugh, but it was just not possible. He was in jail. He was out of the picture, and her life, and had been for years. There was no way he could really be here now. Still, Emily shook in foreboding as she slowly got to her feet and turned around, shining the flashlight at the face of the person standing behind her. As a result, she found herself staring back into a pair of cruel blue-grey eyes, a jagged scar below the right one.

"Kingpin," Emily gaped in horror at the former leader of the once infamous Rat Fang Gang, the group that had nearly destroyed her entire life as a child. Kingpin smiled cruelly at Emily, who was rooted to the spot. The complete and utter shock at seeing her lifelong enemy in front of her after all this time prevented her from noticing the gun that was being pointed at her heart until Kingpin pulled the trigger.

* * *

Within her bedroom, Emily sat up in bed rapidly, letting out a sudden scream as she woke up. Breathing heavily, her eyes darted around the dark room. The nightmare she'd just experienced had worked her up so much, it took a moment for her to realize where she was. Even then, she continued shaking, so when she felt a movement beside her, she gave a panicked jump, turning with wide eyes. She managed to relax, but only just a little, when she saw it was only Mark, who had been woken up by her scream and was now looking at her in concern.

"Emily?" Mark whispered, gently touching her shoulder. "Are you all right?" At Mark's touch, Emily couldn't stop her sudden jump, but she did everything she could to keep her voice calm and level.

"It's nothing, Mark," she insisted. "Just go back to sleep." Mark let out a soft sigh before he replied. Who was she trying to fool, anyway?

"It's_ not_ nothing, Emily. You had that dream again, didn't you?"

"So what if I did?" Emily's remaining terror from her nightmare made her response harsher then she'd intended. "It's just a dream. It's nothing."

"Don't give me that," Mark instructed, moving closer to hug her from behind. "Emily, you've been having that same dream almost every night this month, and it always has you waking up, screaming." When Emily didn't reply, Mark shifted slightly so he'd be in a better position to cradle her gently. "Emily, listen to me, okay? You know Kingpin's gone for good. He's in a high-security prison, under twenty-four hour surveillance. He can't come after you anymore."

"Don't you think I know that? I know he's out of the picture. But that's not stopping the nightmares. What if…? Maybe I've just loosing my mind."

"Don't say that," Mark instructed, rubbing her arms in comfort. "You're not going crazy. That could _never_ happen."

Despite his assurances, Mark was still worried about her. To have the same dream practically night-after-night; it was getting to the point when he was considering taking her to see Dr. Jordan, but this wasn't the best time to suggest it. Instead, he pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "Emily, you trust me, right?"

"What kind of question is that? Of _course_, I do. I trust you with my life, Mark."

"Then believe me when I say that I'm not going to let anything, or anyone, hurt you." Emily was about to argue, pointing out that he might not be able to do so if there was a gun-wielding Kingpin involved, but thought better of it. Instead, she allowed herself to lean back against Mark, letting him hold her closer. For a long time, the two of them were unmoving, apart from an occasional tremble from Emily, which was always followed by Mark tightening his arms around her. After what seemed like forever, Emily finally trusted herself to speak again.

"Thank you," she whispered, laying a hand over Mark's.

"I'm always going to be here for you, Emily," Mark promised. "Don't you ever doubt that."

"I know," Emily nodded, letting out a weary breath. "I…just want you to hold me tonight, okay?"

"Always, Cricket," Mark spoke tenderly, fulfilling her wish as they settled back into bed and immediately adjusting their positions to spoon her body to his. "I love you," he spoke into her ear. In spite of the fact that she was still shaken from the nightmare she'd had, Emily couldn't stop the tiny smile that formed at those words.

"I love you, too," she replied as she closed her eyes, trying to focus only on Mark's closeness, and the fact that she could clearly detect the familiar smell that always seemed to emit from him; the smell of bicycle lubricant mixed with the generic brand of soap he always used. Even back in the old days, when she and Mark had been nothing more then good friends, that particular scent always managed to comfort her. It wasn't much longer before Emily had calmed down enough to go back to sleep again. Even then, Mark lay awake for a bit longer.

No matter how much he tried to calm her worries, he couldn't do the same for his own. The truth was he was very worried about her. Her dreams were getting progressively worse every time she had them. What's more, he had no idea what had triggered them. No one had even so much as mentioned Kingpin in years. His name had always been virtually forbidden among the Bohemian family since his arrest eighteen years ago. Because of this, Mark was at a loss as to why Emily would be suddenly thinking about him now. The thing that made it even worse for him to take was Emily's reactions to her recurring nightmare. Ever since they'd started, she'd become extremely jumpy, reacting in fear to every sudden noise, and couldn't concentrate on anything.

For the second time that night, Mark seriously considered going to Dr. Jordan to see what he had to say about the issue. The problem was he couldn't bring himself to suggest it to Emily, especially after he'd insisted that there was nothing wrong with her. Even so, he was no longer able to think of an alternative solution. Perhaps, if he got the girls involved, particularly Maureen, there might be a way Emily would go down to see the doctor without Mark needing to contradict his assurances to her. After all, there was no chance that Maureen would be unable to hound Emily into seeking help if she believed her friend needed it badly. Before slipping off to sleep, Mark made himself a silent promise that he'd go talk to Maureen and Joanne in the morning, and from there, hope for the best.


	2. A Montage of Requests

**AN:** Here's when everything starts going wrong. Can't say much without giving anything away, but I will say this: get used to the cliffhangers.  


* * *

Even though the last snowfall of the winter had come and gone, a chill still hung in the air, so Maureen and Joanne had to hug their winter coats tightly around them as they made their way down the street. When they finally reached the Kelly Koffeehouse, they were very grateful to step inside and get warm.

"Oh, why does it always have to get so cold in New York," Maureen complained, rubbing her hands together in an attempt to warm them up.

"Just be thankful for warm clothing," Joanne comforted, squeezing Maureen's hand lovingly. At that moment, Joanne spotted Mark sitting in the back of the coffeehouse.

"Hey, Mark," Maureen greeted as she and Joanne sat down in the chairs across from him. "What's up?"

"Hi, Maureen, Joanne," Mark forced a smile. "Glad you two could make it." Sighing, Mark looked down at his folded hands, which were resting atop the table. The conflicted expression on Mark's face even left Maureen worried, but before she could ask what was wrong, they heard someone clear their throat. Looking up, they saw it was Kris Kelly, Zack and Rodolfo's close friend.

"Morning, Mr. Cohen, Mesdames Jefferson-Johnson," she greeted, serving them three mugs of warm coffee, each mug containing a stick of cinnamon.

"Thanks, Kris," Mark nodded in gratitude to the teen girl. After Kris had gone off to wait on the other customers in her family's coffeehouse, Joanne took it upon herself to continue their conversation.

"So, what's this about, Mark?" she asked. "You sounded very worried about something on the phone."

"Yeah," Maureen added. "What was so important that we had to meet here on such short notice? Couldn't it have waited until tonight, when we meet at the Life for our monthly family dinner?"

"No," Mark shook his head, the conflicted expression returning. "This isn't something we could talk about at the Life."

"Mark, what's wrong?" Joanne urged, growing very worried. She had never seen Mark like this, and it was making her very uncomfortable.

"It's…" Mark spoke after a long pause. "It's about Emily."

"Emily?" Maureen stared. "What, are you two having marriage problems or something?"

"Of course not!" Mark snapped, suddenly sounding angry. "It's just that…" Mark trailed off, his face deflating again. "She's…been having nightmares lately."

"Mark Cohen," Maureen huffed, clearly annoyed now. "Do you mean to tell me that you dragged us down here because Emily's just been having _bad dreams_?"  
"Nightmares about Kingpin," Mark spoke seriously. Immediately, Maureen and Joanne's eyes grew as wide as saucers.

"Kingpin?" Joanne nearly choked over the name. "That…that man from the Rat Fang Gang who tried to kill Emily almost two decades ago?"

"Yeah, him," Mark confirmed. "She's been having nightmares about him for over a month now, and she always wakes screaming because of them. But what really worries me is her reaction when she's awake. It's almost like she's expecting him to jump out at her any second. Just yesterday, when Zoey was over studying with Zack and Rodolfo for a math test next week, one of their textbooks fell off the table and Emily nearly had a heart attack.

"I've never seen her like this before. We all know she's never been the nervous type. But now, these nightmares have her scared to death. I'm just so worried about her. I hate seeing her like this."

"I don't get it," Maureen shook her head. "I don't think Emily's thought about Kingpin for _years_."

"Neither do I," Mark agreed. "And I can't think of anyone who would have brought it up. Apart from us, Penny's the only one who knows about what happened back then, and she knows how Kingpin's a sensitive subject for Emily."

"Well, her and Sergeant Kurtz," Maureen reminded. "But he'd know better, too."

"Mark?" Joanne spoke up, seemingly deep in thought about something. "I have a question. Did Emily tell you _exactly_ what happens in her nightmares?"

"Yeah," Mark announced. "It's usually always the same dream, with very little variation. She comes home from somewhere to find that Kingpin broke in and killed the boys and me. Although, sometimes Lucia and Penny are killed, too."

"Maybe…" Joanne muttered, half to herself. "Maybe it was Angel's warning."

"Angel's warning?" Mark and Maureen turned to her in confusion.

"Well," Joanne explained. "All of us remember how Angel had Rodolfo warn us about that 'storm' that's supposed to be coming, right? At the time, Emily said she wasn't that worried about it, but maybe, without her even realizing it, her subconscious mind came up with what she saw as the worst case scenario. After what happened to her parents and older brother when she was young, it wouldn't surprise me if Emily considers something happening to Mark, Penny, or the rest of her immediate family as the worst possible thing that could happen." Mark simply stared at Joanne for a moment, wondering why he'd never considered that possibility. Now that he thought about it, Joanne's theory did seem to make sense.

"So, what do you think I should do?" Mark asked. "I know it might be the best idea to bring Dr. Jordan in on this. He'd probably be able to suggest the best solution. The problem is that Emily's been wondering if there's something mentally wrong with her. I've been spending so much time trying to convince her that she's not loosing it, I can't see how I can suggest visiting Dr. Jordan now without making it look like I was lying to her."

"In other words," Maureen concluded, realizing what he was getting at, "you want us to do the dirty work for you and bring Emily to see Dr. Jordan ourselves."

"I know I sound like a coward," Mark admitted. "I'm just afraid of Emily thinking I don't have faith in her." A second later, a distant expression appeared on Mark's face, and he stared off into space aimlessly, as if his mind had suddenly traveled miles away. "I wish….I wish Roger was still here. He and Emily just always seemed to get each other. He'd probably be able to know what to do right now."

"It's alright, Mark," Joanne reached across the table to place a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. She knew how it was still hard for him to talk about Roger sometimes. "Tomorrow, Maureen and I both have the day off, so we'll take Emily out for the day. I promise we'll do what we can to talk her into seeing Dr. Jordan about this."

"Thanks, Joanne," Mark reluctantly smiled.

* * *

The rest of the day passed somewhat normally for Mark, so by the time night had fallen and the Bohemians were gathered at the Life Café for their traditional monthly family dinner, he was in high spirits. It was times like this when it was hard for him to remember that when this tradition of dinner at the Life began, their family had only consisted of seven people. Now, even though they had lost some dearly loved members of the family throughout the years, it had still grown bigger than they could have ever imagined. Maureen and Joanne were sitting across from Benny and Allison, talking about random topics. Penny and her boyfriend, James, were sitting side-by-side, with James' young son, Sammy, perched on Penny's lap. Meanwhile, Rodolfo, Zack and Alvin were sitting together on one side of the table with Kris and Zack's girlfriend, Zoey, Alvin and Rodolfo engaged in a thumb war. Even Lucia was having a good time, partially because her best friend, Julie, had been able to join them tonight.

However, the part that left Mark feeling the best about tonight was its effect on Emily. Being around the entire family like this seemed to be helping her cheer up a great deal. In fact, she hadn't even batted an eye when Benny's chair scrapped against the floor when he'd got up to visit the bathroom. Perhaps Dr. Jordan wouldn't be needed after all. Maybe all Emily needed was to spend more time with her friends. If that was the case, Joanne's suggestion of having a girls-day-out tomorrow was probably the best thing to do.

Reaching out, Mark took Emily's hand under the table to give it a loving squeeze, smiling to himself when Emily reciprocated the gesture. Content to just hold Emily's hand, Mark found himself listening in on the conversation the Boho Kids were having while Alvin nursed his sore thumb. From what he gathered, it sounded like Kris was talking about her grandparents' cottage up in Michigan.

"…And out back, there's a large, deep river where my brothers and I go swimming when we visit in the summer. There's even a thick rope tied to an overhanging branch which we can use to swing into the water," Kris was saying. "It'll really be great if you guys could all come up with us when my family visits them in July. I've told Granny and Gramps all about you, and they'd love to have you over for the summer."

"Michigan _does_ sound like fun," Zoey noted brightly.

"Yeah, your grandparents' place always sounds great, Kris," Rodolfo agreed.

At that moment, Mark felt someone tap his shoulder. Looking up, he saw it was James.

"Um, Mr. Cohen," James spoke in a low whisper. "I was going to go up and get some drinks for the table. Could you help me carry them back?" After a brief hesitation, Mark got up from the table to accompany James, greatly confused. When did James start calling him 'Mr. Cohen' again? They'd been on first-name terms for quite a while now, ever since James had protected Penny from Zoey's abusive father, so why was it now 'Mr. Cohen' again?

Mark got his answer almost immediately. While they were waiting for the drinks they'd ordered, James turned to face him, looking extremely nervous.

"Mr. Cohen," James breathed. "Um….I'm not sure how to…"

"James, what's this Mr. Cohen stuff?" Mark interrupted. "You know you're allowed to call me Mark."

"I know," James nodded. "But…the thing is…. I know you probably don't agree with some of the older traditions, but…I wanted to do this the old fashioned way, just to be safe. The last thing I want to do is to offend you, especially now. I really want to do this correctly."

"You lost me," Mark frowned. "_What_ older traditions?" James suddenly looked even more nervous, if that was even possible.

"Well, Mr. Cohen…Mark," James spoke slowly. "It's just that…there's an old tradition where it was customary for a guy to go to the father…and ask permission to marry the father's daughter."

The moment he heard those words, Mark's face froze. He knew he should have been expecting this to happen one of these days. It was impossible to see Penny and James together without knowing it was going to happen. So why was he so shocked to hear James say this now? After a brief pause, Mark glanced back over at Penny. At the moment, she was busy playing with Sammy, but in that instant, all Mark could see was that seven-year-old girl with the bridge of freckles across her nose. A second later, Mark remembered that James was still waiting for his response, his face betraying his worry that he'd said something wrong.

"Sorry, James," Mark forced himself to speak. "I'm sorry for zoning out for a moment. I'm afraid you won't understand what this is like until Sammy's all grown up. Believe me, even then, you'll still see him like he is now.

"When I first met Penny eighteen years ago, I never imagined she'd one day mean as much to me as she does now. But I eventually realized I was wrong, and willingly became her father. Ever since then, everything about it just seemed to come naturally, and it was so easy for me to forget that I wasn't Penny's biological father. All the normal fatherly instincts you hear about seemed to just sprout out of nowhere, including that one annoying opinion that nobody could _ever_ be good enough for your daughter. However, I suppose I'm wrong once again.

"James, like I said, you probably won't know how hard this is until Sammy's older, but…I don't think I could ever agree to give Penny away to anyone else but you." Reaching out, Mark awkwardly patted James' shoulder in what he hoped was a supportive way. "I would tell you to take care of her, but I already know you will. You already do."

"Mark," James spoke, his voice shaking with gratitude and relief. "Thank you." The two men didn't speak again as they carried their drinks back to the table and sat back down, but as Mark instinctively draped an arm around Emily's shoulders, something in his expression must have alerted her that something had happened.

"Mark?" Emily frowned in concern. "What's wrong?" Before replying, Mark snuck a glance over at James and Penny, just in time to see James entwine his fingers with Penny's before lifting them up to place a gentle kiss to the back of Penny's hand.

"I'll tell you later," Mark promised in a low whisper before kissing Emily's temple. Satisfied to wait, Emily nodded in agreement, but as she started to turn back toward Maureen to listen to what she was telling Allison, her smile faded. In the span of thirty seconds, her face paled, becoming whiter than a sheet, and her expression shifted from shocked to completely terrified. Wondering what had suddenly scared her so badly, Mark followed the direction of her eyes, but it was a moment before he noticed the television hanging in the corner of the room, which currently was tuned to a live news broadcast. His heart stopping in panicked worry, Mark jumped to his feet, surprising everyone at the table.

"Hey," Mark called over to the people behind the bar. "Could you turn that TV up?" The Bohemian family all looked from Mark to the TV, wondering what was going on as the TV's volume increased to an audible point.

"For those of you just tuning in," the newscaster announced. "An inmate from the Sullivan Correctional Facility managed to escape police custody during his scheduled transfer to the Attica Correctional Facility. While the name of the escaped convict still hasn't been released, it has been revealed that he had been serving a life sentence for counts of attempted murder, kidnapping, and drug trafficking. More information will be released as it comes."

Mark felt his mouth drying out as the newscaster's words sank in. The Sullivan Correctional Facility? That was where Kingpin had been taken after his arrest eighteen years ago. Looking at the expressions on the faces of Maureen, Joanne, and Penny, Mark could tell that they were all thinking the exact same thing.

"Emily?" Joanne whispered carefully, cautiously looking over at the photographer, who looked like she was about to be sick. In the blink of an eye, Emily swayed in her seat and started to fall backwards. It was only the quick reactions of Mark and Benny that prevented her from hitting her head on the floor as she fainted.

"Mom!" Zack and Lucia cried in unison as everyone jumped to their feet in worry and concern.

"Mark, what's going on?" Benny asked urgently as he and Mark carefully lowered Emily to the floor. "Why…?" The rest of Benny's questions were abruptly interrupted by the bang of the restaurant door as it flew open. Standing in the doorway was Sergeant Kurtz, the Bohemians' friend from the NYPD. Without a word to the Bohemians, Sergeant Kurtz went straight to the fainted Emily, his face grim and angry.

"She saw the news about the prison break, didn't she?" Sergeant Kurtz spoke in a low voice as he crouched down at Emily's side, his eyes focused on her face.

"Yeah, just now," Mark nodded numbly. Sergeant Kurtz cursed under his breath.

"They weren't supposed to announce it yet," he muttered, half to himself. "I didn't want her to hear about it like that."

"Sergeant Kurtz?" Penny whispered in horror. "Does that mean…. The escaped convict. It isn't…_him_, is it?" Sergeant Kurtz did not need to reply to Penny's question. His expression was enough to confirm that their fears were well-founded.


	3. The Storm Approaches

**AN:** For those of you who have read my first RENT story, The Story Never Ends at some point, please forgive me for the recap in this story. I tried to make it as un-boring as possible by adding in some insight to Kingpin's motives that weren't touched on in the original story. Also, since I know very little about prison transfers, I'm not sure if the explanation about Kingpin's escape is even possible. (If it's not, my apologies; I didn't major in criminal justice.)

P.S. I now have a new poll up on my profile, regarding the winning story from my last poll, Love Cannot Be Bound. Please check it out.

* * *

The subway car was unusually empty that night. The only occupants at that moment were the Coffin family, the Boho Kids, Lucia, Maureen, Joanne, Penny, James and Sammy. Very shortly after Emily had regained consciousness, Sergeant Kurtz had taken her and Mark down to the police station so they could discuss their options. At first, Emily had been reluctant to go without Rodolfo, Zack and Lucia, but had relented when Joanne and Maureen had promised that they'd get them all home safely, and would even wait at the Condo until her and Mark returned.

As the subway train continued along, Benny finally voiced what most of them were thinking.

"Is anyone going to explain what happened back at the Life?" he asked. "What exactly happened tonight? I've only seen Emily faint like that when she sees blood."

"We're sorry," Joanne apologized. "We know you all should have been told this a long time ago, but…."

"But we all had an unspoken agreement to never speak of it again," Maureen continued. "After all, we thought it was over and done with eighteen years ago. There wasn't any point in telling any of you about it."

"Well, it obviously _wasn't_ over and done with," Allison pointed out. "So tell us now." After a momentary pause, Penny leaned forward in her seat, with the others instantly giving her their undivided attention.

"A long time ago," she began, "there was a very dangerous drug ring. This drug ring was led by a man we know only as Kingpin. I don't think you could ever find anyone crueler then him. Not even Zoey's dad was as bad as he was. Anyway, at one point, Kingpin planned to produce a new kind of drug. This new drug would be completely lethal, so anyone taking even the tiniest amount could die without immediate medical attention.

"Around that time, Mom's father, Grandpa Zeke, who was down on his luck and desperate for money to provide for his family, was forced to start working for this drug ring. When he heard about this new drug, he knew he couldn't stand by and let Kingpin's plan become realty. He risked his life to steal the only existing formula for the new drug and went into hiding with his family. Kingpin, of course, was not happy about this. To this day, we don't know exactly how, but members of Kingpin's drug ring managed to track Grandpa Zeke down. When Grandpa Zeke refused to return the formula, they murdered him and Grandma Natalie. Thankfully, Uncle Zack, who was about Lucia's age at the time, managed to escape with Mom to New York.

"Years later, while Kingpin still hadn't given up in getting the formula back, he tried to come up with a backup plan by recreating the drug using trial and error. He started ordering his followers to abduct women from the city streets to serve as guinea pigs. The really sick part is that they picked women because they wanted to have some 'fun' on the side. One of the abducted women was my birth mother, Katrina Hollingsworth. I can't imagine what Kingpin and his group put her through, but by the time the NYPD finally managed to find where they were keeping her, not only was she rendered mute, she was also seven months pregnant with me. What's more, she ended up dying immediately after I was born. We believe that she lost her will to live during her time in Kingpin's grasp, and had only hung on long enough to give birth to me." Penny paused in her story to smile over at James, who had chosen that moment to squeeze her hand in sympathy.

"I don't think Kingpin did much for a while after Miss Hollingsworth was found," Joanne took over for Penny. "However, he wasn't gone for good. Chances are he was only lying low, not wanting to attract more attention. But then, eighteen years ago, we crossed paths with Emily after Mark crashed his bike outside the place where she lived. At the same time, Kingpin started up trying to recreate his drug once again. As we found out much later, one of his followers, while out looking for more test subjects, spotted Emily when she was out with us somewhere and recognized her as Zeke's daughter. When Kingpin found out that Emily was living in New York, he came up with a plan to lure her to him. He truly believed that Emily, as Zeke's daughter, knew where the formula was. Kingpin's plan was to have one of his followers pose as someone who was interested in adopting Penny. Once Penny was 'adopted' by Kingpin's follower, Emily would be notified of the truth and told to deliver the formula in exchange for Penny's safe return.

"Lucky for me," Penny smiled in gratitude, "Kingpin didn't count on Mom having such great friends as Dad, Uncle Roger, Aunt Mimi, Uncle Collins, Auntie Maureen and Aunt Joanne. They all put their lives on the line to utilize a plan of their own. Their plan helped me escape, and even got Kingpin in jail. After Kingpins' arrest, we all thought that was the last we'd ever hear from him again."

"But now, Kingpin's escaped from prison," Maureen concluded. "And even though there's no actual proof of it, he's definitely going to try coming after Emily again. He might still want the formula, or maybe he just wants revenge. But he'll be coming after her either way. And that's why we're all so worried.

"She only _just_ escaped with her life the last time she faced Kingpin. Have you all seen the scar she has around her wrist? That's from her last confrontation with Kingpin. This time…she might not be so lucky. If he finds her, he might actually kill her this time." For a long time, everyone was quiet, taking in Penny, Maureen and Joanne's story.

"So, what are we supposed to do?" Lucia finally broke the silence.

"I don't know, Luce," Penny replied, closing her eyes, visibly stressed. "Sergeant Kurtz is the one who's trained to handle men like Kingpin. He's probably came up with some ideas already. Chances are he's discussing the options with Mom and Dad to see what they're willing to do."

No one said another word as the subway train continued on its way. Maureen, Joanne and Penny were still too worried about what Kingpin might be planning while the others tried to wrap their minds around the full story of Emily's past. It was only when the subway train was nearing his stop that James worked up the courage to ask Penny what had been bugging him, but even then, he waited until he and Penny had moved closer to the door, so they'd be out of earshot.

"Penny," he spoke quietly, trying not to wake up Sammy, who had fallen asleep on the way. "I understand why you never explained what Emily went through, but…aw, Pen, why didn't you ever tell me about your birth mother? To think you were keeping something like that to yourself…" Instantly, James was stunned into silence upon seeing an uncharacteristically hardened glower crossing Penny's face.

"I never mentioned it, James," she replied, barely holding back a hiss, "because thinking about that also reminded me about who my birth father is."

"Your _birth father_?" James sputtered. "But...how could you know who…your birth mother was…"

"James," Penny interrupted. "Last time, when Kingpin executed his plan to abduct me in order to draw Mom to him, I ended up meeting him in person. Kingpin's eyes…are the same shape and color as mine." With that, Penny turned and walked stiffly back to join her siblings, not bothering to look back at the shocked, horrified expression that had appeared on James' face.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sergeant Kurtz entered an interrogation room where Emily and Mark were waiting, carrying two cups of warm tea.

"Here, drink this," he offered, passing the tea over to the pair. "It'll help with the shock."

"Thank you," Emily whispered, not even looking up. With a heavy sigh, Sergeant Kurtz took a seat across the table so he was facing Mark and Emily.

"Alright, Sergeant Kurtz," Mark began. "Tell us what happened."

"We're still not sure how Kingpin managed to coordinate it, I'm afraid," Sergeant Kurtz admitted. "Recently, it was decided that Kingpin would be transferred to the Attica Correctional Facility. Early this morning, he was escorted to the helicopter that would transport him there as planned. But somehow, one of his old followers, who miraculously escaped being arrested last time, managed to hijack the police helicopter before it even arrived at Sullivan Correctional Facility. We didn't even realize this until the helicopter began traveling in the wrong direction. When I was pulling up to the Life Café tonight to break the news to you two gently, I heard that the original pilot's body was found shoved inside a supply closet at a highway rest stop five miles outside Fallsburg.

"Mr. and Mrs. Cohen, I am really sorry. I cannot believe this happened, especially since Kingpin was one of our highest security prisoners. More than that….," Sergeant Kurtz's face immediately shifted from that of a professional policeman to one of brotherly concern. "Emily, this is worse than me not being able to keep a civilian safe. You're the sister of my late partner and closest friend. After everything Kingpin has done, after everything he's taken you….."

"It's not your fault, Uncle Kevin," Emily finally met Sergeant Kurtz's eyes. "This is Kingpin we're talking about. If he could track down my parents to the suburbs where they were hiding, it shouldn't have taken us by surprise that he'd eventually escape from jail. All we can do know is figure out what to do now." Flinching in response to Emily's calmness in the situation, Mark reached out to wrap an arm around her shoulder.

"So, what are our options?" Mark asked Sergeant Kurtz, keeping his eyes on Emily. Sergeant Kurtz didn't reply right away. When Mark spared a glance at him, he saw Sergeant Kurtz's face was torn.

"My suggestion? It's the same one I had the last time Kingpin was at large. Perhaps…you and your family would be eligible for the Federal Witness Protection Program. I know what your opinions about running from this are, Emily, but if Kingpin can escape from prison, then he _will_ be able to find you."

"My parents tried…"

"The difference between this and your parents is that they didn't have any help when they went into hiding," Sergeant Kurtz reasoned, realizing instantly what Emily was going to say. "This program gives you all new identities and lives. As long as you abide by the rules, and don't try to contact anyone from your former lives, there is very little chance of Kingpin finding you."

"What about our friends?" Mark argued. "Maureen and Joanne? Benny and Allison? They wouldn't be able to go into hiding with us, too."

"No, they won't," Sergeant Kurtz's face reflected his deep sympathy. "I know that this is an impossible decision I'm asking you to make. But I care about you both more than you can ever know. And…ever since we lost your brother, Emily, your safety has always been a high priority for me. If this is the only way to ensure it now, I really think that you should at least consider it."

"I…" Emily bowed her head, averting her eyes. "I don't think we can give you an answer tonight. Mark and I need to discuss this."

"I understand," Sergeant Kurtz nodded. He had been expecting that response. "I'll leave you two alone for a few minutes; I'm going to gather up some information on the Witness Protection Program for you, just in case. I'd like you to be able to make a well-informed decision."

After Sergeant Kurtz left, Mark shifted in his chair to hug Emily closer.

"It'll be all right, Cricket," Mark insisted. "We'll figure this out."

"Mark," Emily whispered. "I think…I'm going to take Sergeant Kurtz's advice. It'll be the best way. I'll miss all of you, but…as long as everyone's safe."

"What are you talking about?" Mark breathed in disbelief. "You'll miss _all_ of us? Emily, I'm not going to let you face this alone. If you're going to enter the program, then so am I."

"Mark, _no_!" Emily gasped. "I can't do that to you. What about Maureen and Joanne? And…I can't let you give up the chance to visit Roger and the others." Mark responded by taking Emily's face in his hands.

"I don't care about that," he replied. "Well…yeah I do. But after weighing the options, you're the one I can't give up. The others will understand the position we're in." Emily opened her mouth to argue, but Mark quickly placed a finger over her lips, silencing her. "Emily, listen to what I'm saying, okay? Yes, I'll miss our friends terribly, and it _will_ be hard knowing we won't be able to visit or even contact them again. But there is _nothing_ in this city that could _ever_ convince me to abandon you. Where you go, I go."

"Mark,…" Emily choked back a sudden sob.

"Come on, try not to think about it tonight, okay?" Mark urged, hugging her even tighter. "Let's just go home and sleep on it. In the morning, we'll explain everything to Rodolfo, Zack and Lucia. After all, this decision affects them, too." Numbly, Emily nodded her head, but she was not looking forward to telling the children that they might have to leave New York, and their friends, forever.

* * *

**AN: **The next chapter will feature a lot of drama, especially with Rodolfo and Zack. Be sure to watch out for it.


	4. Family Meeting

The next morning, Zack and Rodolfo exited their bedroom to find Mark, Emily, Lucia and Penny already up and gathered in the family room area of the Condo. Mark and Emily were on the old sofa, Penny was in the armchair, and Lucia was sitting on the floor, patting the back of Wenceslas, the family's potbellied pig. Understanding from experience that this meant a family meeting was being held, the two boys joined their family, perching themselves on the windowsill nearby.

"Well," Mark spoke first, his expression showing that he wasn't looking forward to this, "I suppose Penny told you all about Kingpin last night?" Mark paused to meet Penny's eyes.

"Everything," Penny confirmed with a nod.

"Good," Mark sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, of course, Sergeant Kurtz has promised that he and the rest of the NYPD will do their best to capture him again. There are even plans to provide us with a full 24 hours of police protection. But Kingpin has a talent for avoiding the police. This leaves us with the issue of what _we're_ going to do. We have to accept the possibility that Kingpin might never be recaptured."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Lucia asked, visibly concerned and fearful. It was Emily who answered her daughter.

"Sergeant Kurtz thinks…the best solution for us is to enter the witness protection program. This means…we'd all have to leave New York."

"What?" Rodolfo cried. "Leave?"

"For how long?" Zack added.

"Forever, possibly," Mark admitted. "It also means that we can't contact anyone again. That includes Maureen, Joanne and the Coffins."

"But what about Kris? And Zoey?" Rodolfo argued.

"Or my best friend, Julie?" Lucia spoke up. Mark shook his head sadly.

"It would be too dangerous," he reasoned. "For us and for them."

"Dad, _no_!" Zack cried, jumping to his feet. "We _can't_ leave our friends behind! And what about Zoey? She's only just come back! And now you're saying we can't even _write_ to each other?"

"I'm sorry, Zack," Emily whispered, closing her eyes in internal pain and sympathy. "But to make sure Kingpin won't ever find us, no one can ever know where we are. Even a phone call could give away our location. The only way we can ever be sure we'll be safe is…to completely cut ourselves off. We'd need to leave our entire lives behind. That includes our friends, too." For a moment or two, Zack stood where he was, glaring at his parents in anger, but then stormed out of the Condo, slamming the door behind him. Mark immediately wrapped an arm around Emily, seeing that she was close to tears. After a pause, Penny pushed herself out of the armchair.

"It's okay, Mom," she comforted, hugging Emily tightly. "I'll go talk to him."

"Thank you, Penny," Mark smiled in gratitude. Once Penny had left, Rodolfo hesitantly stepped forward, forcing himself to speak.

"Uncle Mark? Aunt Emily?" he muttered. "Are we… You said that Sergeant Kurtz only _suggested_ this, right? You…never said if we were really going to leave. Are we?"

"I think…it's the best solution," Mark admitted. Rodolfo's face contorted with internal pain. It was clear that he was trying to cling to some vain hope that they wouldn't have to leave New York after all.

"Do…you know when we're going to….?"

"As soon as everything has been finalized. Sergeant Kurtz is working on the preparations. We're…not the usual applicants for the program, so he's trying to convince the people in charge to accept us into the program."

"And what happens if Kingpin is caught _before_ then?" Lucia stepped in. "Do we get to stay?"

"Lucia!" Emily's head shot up, her tone suddenly sharp. "You two _better_ not be planning to try and get Kingpin yourselves!"

"Of course not, Aunt Emily," Rodolfo assured, his honesty reflected on his face. "We were just trying to be optimistic. If they catch Kingpin before we enter this program, we could stay in the city. Right?"

"I…" Mark closed his eyes with a low sigh. "That does sound right. But I wouldn't get your hopes up, Rodolfo. After all, Kingpin is extremely clever and ruthless. It will not be easy for the NYPD to track him down again. They might not manage it at all this time. I'm afraid…our moving away from New York is the only realistic solution left for us." Rodolfo's shoulders slumped as his last remaining hope was lessened. Without a word, he headed off into his bedroom, allowing Lucia to accompany him.

The moment they were alone, Mark took Emily's hand gently, knowing from her expression that she was blaming herself for the whole mess.

"Emily, this isn't your fault," he comforted.

"How can you say that? _I'm_ the one Kingpin wants. He doesn't want you or the children."

"And we're a family," Mark reasoned. "What affects _one_ of us affects _all_ of us." Pausing, Mark glanced at the door, frowning slightly in concern. "Don't worry about Zack. He'll understand once he cools down."

"Maybe. But I'm not looking forward to seeing him after we move," Emily whispered, fresh tears forming. "The last time he had to say goodbye to Zoey, he took it hard. And I can't imagine how Penny would…"

"Emily?" Mark spoke cautiously. "I've been…wanting to talk to you about that. Believe me, I know how much you love Penny, and how you've never been apart since she was born. But…I think it would be best…if Penny stays here."

"What?" Emily gaped, staring at Mark as if he were crazy.

"I'm just saying that…Penny has been thinking about getting her own place lately. She's old enough to live on her own. And…more importantly, last night, when we were at the Life…. You remember when James and I went up to get the drinks?" Emily nodded, having difficulty in seeing where he was going with this. "Well, Emily, James is planning to ask Penny to marry him. Last night, he was asking for my blessing."

"Oh," Emily gasped. "Our Penny? _Married_?"

"Yeah," Mark forced a shaky chuckle. "I was surprised, too. But we both know that James would keep her safe. She'll be well cared for, and that's something we both want for her, right?"

"Yes, it is," Emily agreed. "I'm just hoping that Penny will agree to stay behind."

"I'm sure she will," Mark pulled Emily into a hug. "After all, she has a life _and_ a career of her own here. It really would be unfair to ask her to give that all up and start all over again."

"Because that's not what we're doing," Emily laughed in spite of herself.

* * *

Outside the apartment building, it only took Penny a second before she saw Zack heading off in the direction of the park. Sighing to herself, she quickly jogged over to his side to walk alongside him.

"Hey," she smiled sadly down at him. "Mind if I walk with you?"

"I'd rather be alone," Zack mumbled.

"Yeah, I understand that," Penny nodded. "But you're still my little brother, Zack, and I don't like the idea of you walking around New York by yourself."

"Fine, do what you want," Zack sulked, folding his arms. For a while, neither of them said anything. As they neared the park, however, Penny broke the silence.

"You know, Zack, Mom and Dad didn't reach their decision easily. Remember, they'll be leaving their friends behind, too."

"It's not the same," Zack grumbled.

"Isn't it?" Penny challenged. "Don't forget that Mom and Dad were friends with Auntie Maureen and Aunt Joanne since before you were even born. In fact, Dad's known Auntie Maureen since he was your age. She's probably his oldest friend, and one of his last ties to Uncle Roger."

"What about _you_, Penny," Zack rounded on her. "Are _you_ willing to leave James behind?" Instantly, Penny's face deflated in tangible heartbreak and Zack looked away, feeling embarrassed and guilty at the same time. He could tell he'd hurt Penny by mentioning James.

"I'm sorry, Penny," Zack bowed his head. "I shouldn't have…"

"No, it's alright," Penny cut him off in mid-sentence. "I suppose we can relate to each other about this. You can't leave Zoey any easier than I can leave James. But, on the other hand, if we can't bring ourselves to say goodbye to them, we'd have to say goodbye to Mom and Dad instead."

"I hate him," Zack suddenly growled. "I hate Kingpin. If it wasn't for him…."

"I know," Penny agreed with a nod. "I hate him, too."

"Penny, you don't hate _anyone_," Zack reminded, his eyes suddenly wide upon hearing Penny say those words.

"I wouldn't say that," Penny replied, reaching out to squeeze her brother's shoulder.

"So…" Zack whispered after a long pause. "What am I supposed to do? I can't just forget about Zoey or my friends, but…Mom and Dad, Rodolfo and Lucia…"

"I know," Penny sighed heavily. "I feel the same way. But, let's not think about it for a while. Worrying about it won't help much right now. Come on. I'll buy you a hot dog, okay?" Zack simply nodded in agreement, following Penny to the park.

"Penny?" Zack spoke again after a few minutes. "Thank you for not downplaying my relationship with Zoey. Most people would probably just say that we're both young, and we'd be able to find someone else someday."

"Of course not," Penny smiled in understanding. "I could never dismiss any relationship like that, especially when it's as potent as a first love."

"No, you wouldn't," Zack returned her smile. "I'm glad you're my sister, Penny."

"Good," Penny tussled Zack's hair in response. "Because I'm glad you're my brother."

* * *

**AN: **Sorry for the sappy ending, but from here on in, tender moments are going to be extremely rare, so I recommend you savor them while you can. Also, I would appreciate some more votes in the poll on my profile, since only two people have voted so far. Thanks in advance.


	5. Mark's Worst Night

**AN: **And here is when things start to really go downhill for the Bohos. Prepare for a lot of pain, tears, and dark themes. Please Read and Review. (I cannot stress this enough. I do live for reviews.)  


* * *

Rain pelted the windows of Maureen and Joanne's flat, which was completely dark apart from the glow of the TV screen. The couple was huddled on the couch with only a bowl of popcorn separating them, deeply engrossed in the horror flick that was playing. They were so involved in their movie, the sudden knock on the door made them involuntarily jump, sending their popcorn flying all over the place. Laughing at their overreaction, Joanne reached over to flip on the nearby lamp before heading over to answer the door while Maureen went to work in scooping up the fallen popcorn. When Joanne opened the door, she saw Mark standing in the hall, the shoulders of his tan coat drenched from the rain. One look at the expression on his face left Joanne with no question about why Mark was here.

"Everything's final, isn't it?" she asked numbly. From her spot by the couch, Maureen paused in sweeping the popcorn off the coffee table, looking up with an expression of instant pain.

"They're moving us out of the Condo tomorrow morning," Mark confirmed, unable to meet Joanne's eyes.

An hour after they had told the children, Mark and Emily had filled Maureen and Joanne in on Sergeant Kurtz's plan to enter them into the witness protection program to ensure that they could escape from Kingpin. Overall, neither of them had taken it very well. Especially not Maureen, who had started spouting off badly-planned ideas, including one about how they could just disguise Emily whenever she went out. It was only when Joanne and Mark had pointed out the flaws to her fifteenth alternative that she finally accepted that they had no other choice. Once Maureen had relented, Mark had promised them that he would tell them when they were accepted into the program.

Throat to tight to speak, Joanne pulled Mark into a tight hug. For a brief instant, Joanne remembered a time long ago, when she'd wanted nothing to do with Mark, back when her relationship with Maureen was just starting out. Being friends with your girlfriend's ex-boyfriend just didn't seem possible to her back then. Now, however, the thought of saying goodbye to Mark forever was almost too much for her to stand. Somehow, he'd become the brother she'd never had and had always secretly wanted.

Moments later, Maureen had joined them at the door, turning Joanne's gesture into a group hug.

"Why can't you just stay?" Maureen nearly sobbed. "I…we…don't want you to go."

"We don't either," Mark shrugged stiffly. "But…it's to keep Emily safe from Kingpin. If he finds her, she's as good as dead."

"Is Emily…?" Joanne couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence.

"She's back ho... back at the Condo, getting everything together so we can vacate quickly in the morning," Mark explained. He couldn't bring himself to call the Condo home. Starting tomorrow, it _wouldn't_ be home anymore. "Sergeant Kurtz's friend from the force, Officer Foster; he's back with her, as part of the police protection she'll have until we leave." It was at that moment that Maureen spotted Rodolfo, Lucia and Zack standing together down the hall. When he'd seen that Maureen had noticed them, Zack reluctantly waved.

"We're…stopping by their friends' places on the way back," Mark explained. "Lucia's staying over at Julie's tonight, while Rodolfo and Zack's friends, Kris, Zoey and Alvin are coming over to spend the night at the Condo. For the last time. It's…to give them a chance to say goodbye to each other."

"Mark," Joanne whispered. "Will it be all right if…Maureen and I come by in the morning to see you off?" Mark took a while to reply.

"I think…Emily will like that. She's…going to miss you both terribly. You two have been her closest friends. Apart from Penny, she's going to have the hardest time saying goodbye to you."

Words failing her for possibly the first time, Maureen moved forward to hug Mark once more before retreating into the flat and disappearing into the bedroom.

"She'll be alright," Joanne whispered, seeing the expression on Mark's face. "This is just very hard on her."

"Yeah," Mark nodded stiffly, turning to walk away. "I know how she feels. Joanne? In case…you two don't make it in time to see us off tomorrow…thank you. For everything. I'm going to miss you."

"Me too," Joanne replied, fighting back the tears.

* * *

Sometime later, the Boho Kids were shuffling down the sidewalk, following Mark at a distance. Lucia had just been dropped off at Julie's, which gave them a chance to talk privately.

"What am I supposed to do without you guys?" Alvin voiced his concern to Zack and Rodolfo, kicking a can that had been discarded along the road. "You two have been my friends since we were all in Pampers."

"I know, Alvin," Zack muttered with downcast eyes. "Rodolfo and I are going to miss you, too. We'll…miss all of you."

"I…" Zoey whispered, hugging herself against her emotional pain. "I don't _want_ you to leave. You were my first real friends."

"Mine too," Kris agreed, her usual placid smile missing from her face, moving the guitar case that held her mother's old guitar from her left hand to her right. "It's going to be very lonely around here when you boys go."

"Come on guys," Rodolfo forced himself to speak. "It…it might not be _that_ long, you know? Kingpin; he's probably over fifty by now, right? He's _much_ older than Aunt Emily and Uncle Mark, at least, since Aunt Emily's dad used to work for him. A couple decades from now, if he's still living, he's going to be _really_ old. Too old to come after anyone. Maybe then…we could try to find each other again."

"Would you really try and look for us?" Kris turned to Rodolfo with questioning eyes.

"Of course we would," Zack insisted. "We told you before, Kris. Once you're a part of the Bohemian family, you're a part of it forever. Not even time can change that."

"So… that's a promise?" Alvin asked, his voice suddenly filled with hope. "Thirty years from now, when we're all in our forties, you and Rodolfo will look us all up?"

"That's a promise," Rodolfo nodded with conviction. Smiling, Zoey reached out and took Zack's hand, swinging it as they walked.

By now, they had reached the apartment building where the Condo was located. Mark, reaching the front doors first, held it open for the Boho Kids. As the five teens entered, the filmmaker sighed heavily. He had been so busy today with finalizing everything for leaving the city in the morning, including closing their mail address and picking up his final paycheck from Redefining Pictures, he hadn't had a chance to visit Roger and the others one last time. Even now, he knew it was probably for the best. Going to see them would only make tomorrow much harder. But…not saying goodbye to them made him feel awful. He could only hope that they would be allowed to swing by the cemetery on the way to the airport tomorrow morning. If not, he hoped that Roger and the others would forgive them.

Just as Mark was about to follow the Boho Kids inside, an urgent voice calling his name stopped him in his tracks.

"Mr. Cohen! Mark!" Turning, Mark saw Sergeant Kurtz climbing out of his squad car, which had been parked along the curb not two feet away. The moment Mark was able to register the look on Sergeant Kurtz's face, his insides turned to ice.

"Sergeant Kurtz?" Mark cried in alarm. "What is it? What's wrong."

"Mark," Sergeant Kurtz gasped for breath, his eyes wide with urgent worry. "Is Emily with you?"

"No, she's…she's upstairs, getting everything ready for tomorrow," Mark replied. "Why? What happened?" Sergeant Kurtz's face paled instantly as he cursed under his breath.

"Mark, I…" Sergeant Kurtz spoke with forced calmness. "I just tried to contact Officer Foster over the radio, just to check up on things with Emily." Instantly, Mark felt as if the bottom of his stomach had vanished completely. Officer Foster, he remembered, was the police officer who was supposed to be protecting Emily tonight.

"What are you trying to say?" Mark whispered, already knowing he didn't want to know the answer.

"Mark," Sergeant Kurtz's face contorted with guilt and torment. "Officer Foster's not answering any radio calls. Not one."

Instantly, a high-pitched ringing filled Mark's ears. He realized moments later that his mind must have gone blank as well, for he suddenly found himself inside an empty elevator, impatiently jabbing at the button for the fifth floor, with no recollection as to how he got there. All he could remember, once he tried really hard, was the sound of Sergeant Kurtz's muffled, distant voice, telling him to stop. There was no way he could stop now, however. Sergeant Kurtz had said that Officer Foster was not answering his police radio, and if he wasn't answering, then that meant…

Not soon enough, the elevator reached the fifth floor, but Mark didn't wait before the doors opened all the way before he was racing down the hallway to the Condo door. Without pausing to knock, Mark threw open the door and stepped into the seemingly empty apartment.

"EMILY?" Mark shouted urgently, feeling himself at the brink of a panic attack. "EMILY!" The response Mark received made the blood pound in his ears. He'd only heard that laugh on one occasion, but that was enough to become etched into his memory forever. His body stiff from anger and despair, Mark turned to face the six-foot tall man standing against the wall. To Mark's fury, Emily was being held firmly in his grasp.

"Oh, _boy_," Kingpin laughed with a cruel grin as he leered at Mark in clear recognition. "The _scarf boy_? Oh, Emily. You _married_ the _scarf boy_?" Emily could only glare at her captor in response. Kingpin had slapped a strip of duct tape over her mouth to prevent her from screaming.

"Kingpin," Mark snarled, shaking in anger. He could not remember being this angry since the night that Peter Rabe, Zoey's abusive father, had struck Emily. But compared to this? That incident seemed to pale by comparison.

"How nice of you to remember my name, scarf boy," Kingpin taunted, starting to pull Emily out the open door and into the hallway. "Although, you shouldn't look so surprised to see me. Even _you_ should have known that jail cell wouldn't hold me forever."

"Let her go!" Mark growled, advancing at him. "You're wasting your time. The formula's gone. It was destroyed years ago. You're not going to get it, no matter what you do. Now LET HER GO!"

"Oh-ho, as if I'd be intimidated by you _yelling_," Kingpin sneered. At that moment, Kingpin suddenly lurched forward slightly, as if someone had struck him from behind with something heavy. Seconds later, Mark saw that was exactly what had happened. Standing out in the hall was Kris, glaring up at Kingpin in intense dislike. In her hands was the broken neck of her mother's old guitar; the guitar's body was lying on the floor in multiple wooden fragments.

"Leave Mrs. Cohen alone!" Kris shouted, raising the broken guitar neck to attempt another swipe at Kingpin. Before she could connect, Kingpin effortlessly kicked her to the floor with the ball of his foot.

"You're one brazen, gutsy kid," Kingpin laughed.

"Far enough, Kingpin," Sergeant Kurtz announced suddenly, appearing in the hall as well, his gun drawn, the rest of the Boho Kids standing behind him.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't _Kurtzy-Kurtz_," Kingpin glared in twisted amusement. "The whole ensemble's here, aren't they? Only one who's missing is little Penny, although she's probably not so little anymore, is she?"

"You only have one warning, Kingpin," Sergeant Kurtz spoke, not even acknowledging Kingpin's mention of Penny. "Let Mrs. Cohen go. Make this easy for both of us."

"Oh, now, that's the _beauty_ of this, Kurtzy-Kurtz," Kingpin grinned cruelly. "This really _can_ be quite easy." Kingpin's next action happened so fast, Sergeant Kurtz didn't have time to react in time. While keeping one arm wrapped firmly around Emily's neck to prevent her from escaping, Kingpin pulled a gun from behind his back. Instead of aiming it at anyone, however, he shot the hinges off a nearby supply closet instead. Without the hinges holding it in place, the door fell to the ground, along with the body of the missing Officer Foster. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Kingpin dragged Emily down to the end of the hall, where he escaped through the stairwell door.

"NO!" Mark cried, racing off after him.

"Mark, stop!" Sergeant Kurtz shouted. When Mark didn't show any signs of listening, Sergeant Kurtz took off after him, pausing only long enough to tell the shocked Boho Kids to 'stay there.'

* * *

Inside the stairwell, Mark concentrated solely on running after Kingpin as fast as he could, not even bothering to worry about keeping his balance on the stairs. All that mattered to him was getting Emily back. As long as he got her away from Kingpin, it didn't matter what happened to him.

Mark was so focused on getting to Emily, he didn't even realize that the sound of Kingpin's heavy boots on the concrete stairs had stopped until he reached the second floor landing. For a brief second, Mark's eyes registered the sight of Kingpin standing there, looking right back at him, but then he felt a sharp fiery pain in his left shoulder, followed almost immediately by a deafening bang. With a cry of pain, Mark's hand flew immediately to his hurt shoulder, which was instantly drenched with something warm and sticky. As Mark's eyes squeezed shut against the pain, he heard Emily's muffled cry of distress, followed by a heavy door slamming below him. This was more than enough to make him forget about his injury. In a flash, Mark was on his feet again, reaching the first floor landing in seconds. However, the moment he was out of the stairwell, he realized that his hesitation lasted too long. Already, he could see Kingpin running out the side door that led to the street. Even then, Mark refused to give up, and dashed out after him. He managed to reach the street just in time to see Kingpin forcing Emily into the back of a nearby van, which drove off a second later.

"EMILY!" Mark screamed in panic, taking off after the van. For a second or two, Mark was able to follow after it, but the van quickly picked up speed before rounding the corner. Only then did Mark finally accept the fact that he could never catch them. In utter despair, he fell to his knees, staring out in the direction the van had driven off in. He was so stunned, he didn't notice Sergeant Kurtz joining him until the cop placed an empathetic hand on his uninjured shoulder.

"Mark," Sergeant Kurtz spoke in a horse whisper. "We…we're not going to give up. I promise you, we'll get her back. Right now, we…we should get a doctor to look at your shoulder. You're bleeding pretty badly."

"I promised her," Mark moaned in anguished pain, showing no sign of hearing Sergeant Kurtz. "I promised her I'd keep her safe. I promised her I wouldn't let anything happen to her. And…and now…"

"There was nothing you could have done," Sergeant Kurtz muttered. In response, Mark pulled away from Sergeant Kurtz's comforting hand before contorting himself into a tight ball, anguished sobs suddenly ripping from his throat.

"EMILY!" he screamed between sobs. "NO! NO!"


	6. Facing an Old Enemy

**AN:** A very short chapter tonight to prepare you all for the next chapter. That one, I can honestly say, will be very,_ very, **very** _dark. (And if it doesn't make you even the slightest bit uncomfortable, then I've either failed as an aspiring writer or you have problems I cannot help you with.) On that note, read, enjoy, and review.  


* * *

As the van drove off, Emily sat motionless with her back against the inner side of the vehicle. Refusing to acknowledge the fact that Kingpin was standing over her, she kept her eyes focused on her knees, but after a few minutes, Kingpin grabbed at her hair and forced her head back so she'd have no choice but to look up at him.

"You don't look happy to see me, Emily," Kingpin grinned cruelly, peeling the duct tape off her mouth. "And after all the trouble I took to find you. Well, I suppose I shouldn't say trouble. After all, your engagement _was_ announced in the papers that are delivered to that jail where I spent the last eighteen years. Very clever, marrying someone with such a common surname. That _did_ make it a bit more difficult, but knowing that you would never willingly leave New York helped simplify things." Emily glared at her lifelong enemy for a moment before decisively turning her eyes away. This action seemed to amuse Kingpin even more.

"Ha, you are exactly like your father, Zeke. Such a shame it leads to this. Before he went and deserted me, he was a good friend."

"You're not going to get it, Kingpin," Emily spoke in a low whisper filled with fury, still not looking at him. "Mark was telling you the truth. The formula is gone. We found it in my old stuffed rabbit, where my father hid it after he escaped your drug ring. But it's gone now. I burned it the second I found it. Your formula's gone for good, so you're not getting it back no matter what you do to me." Kingpin suddenly threw his head back, laughing at her assumption.

"The formula?" he sneered. 'Whoever said I was still after that formula? No, Emily. This time, _you_ are the one I'm here for.

"These past eighteen years, I thought of hundreds of ways to make you pay. I ended up in that jail cell because of you, if you'd remember. Do you really think you'd be allowed to get away with that?" As Kingpin let this threat seep in, the van slowed to a stop, revealing that they had reached their destination. After a second or two, the doors flew open and Kingpin roughly dragged Emily out of the van. The first thing Emily could tell was that they were in a warehouse somewhere, but she could not tell where this warehouse was located. It was only a second longer before she realized that she and Kingpin weren't alone. Gathered around the warehouse was a large group of men of various races, all within the thirty to fifty age range. Every one of them was now watching Kingpin as he maintained a harsh grip on Emily's arm.

"Hello, boys," Kingpin greeted the large crowd. "Our guest of honor has arrived." Emily gritted her teeth as the jeers and vicious laughter rang out, promising herself to not give Kingpin the satisfaction. However, she was unable to stop herself from taking in the vast number of men who were gathered around.

"What's the matter, Emily," Kingpin taunted. "Surprised to see so many men following me? Did you think everyone who followed me the last time we met ended up in prison, too? No, many of them weren't even there that night. Although, some of the people here are newcomers, all highly recommended by my older friends. Yours isn't the only family that's grown. I saw those teenage brats with Kurtzy-Kurtz, if you'd remember. I suppose you could say that you weren't the only one here who was _busy_." Emily barely managed to hold back her furious growl as Kingpin's followers laughed at Kingpin's lewd joke.

At that moment, there was a slight distraction of a nearby door opening. In unison, Kingpin and Emily looked over to see the bearded man entering the warehouse, his greasy hair pulled back into a ponytail.

"Welcome back, my slippery friend," Kingpin greeted whole-heartedly as the Man stepped over to his side. "I cannot thank you enough for gathering all our oldest allies together once again." The Man nodded once before his eyes fell on Emily, who was looking right back at him. Both their expressions became unreadable as they held each other's gaze for a few moments. After a few seconds, the Man turned away and Emily glared at the floor. Kingpin, however, showed no sign of noticing this. Instead, he continued to address his followers.

"Those of you who are new to our ranks," Kingpin announced, "I trust you have been told all about Mrs. Cohen here. But in case you haven't, allow me to enlighten you. You see, Mrs. Cohen here once possessed a priceless item of mine that had been stolen by her old man, something I wanted back badly. When I tried to arrange a transaction to get this item back, not only did she double cross me by refusing to uphold her half of the exchange, but she also used her connections to the NYPD to have me thrown into prison for the past eighteen years. Since then, I have been wasting away in a jail cell, while she has gone unpunished for refusing to return my property. Not anymore." Kingpin turned to Emily with a cruel smile. "Now, thanks to the help of the men in my employ who escaped capture last time we met, she can finally receive my retribution."

"Interesting you didn't include your underdogs murdering my parents under your orders in that story," Emily muttered, glaring at Kingpin in pure hated. "Or you kidnapping Penny."

"Now, let's not make unfounded accusations, Emily," Kingpin sneered. "I never ordered my men to kill Zeke and his wife. That was an unfortunate loss for me as well. And I _never_ would have allowed Penny to be hurt. Do you _really_ think I'd be so cold hearted, I would let my only daughter be harmed?"

"No," Emily snarled. "Because being cold hearted would imply that you actually _had_ a heart." Kingpin's cruel smile vanished in an instant as he glowered at Emily for almost a full minute. In one violent movement, he shoved Emily over to the crowd of his followers.

"Gentlemen," Kingpin exclaimed in a hard, demanding voice. "Why don't you take Mrs. Cohen and make sure she receives a _very_ warm welcome?" Once again, the warehouse was filled with bawdy laughter as Kingpin's followers roughly ushered Emily off with Kingpin following closely, the most malicious smile on his face. Kingpin was so enraptured with his sinister plans for his revenge on Emily that he didn't even notice that the Man was maintaining his emotionless expression, or that there was absolutely no sign of the vindictive amusement the others were experiencing on his face.


	7. The Extent of Kingpin's Cruelty

**AN: **As I've said before, this chapter will be very, very dark, and will probably make quite a few people uncomfortable. For that reason, I cannot say 'enjoy' this time around, so I'll just say read on, and don't forget to review.

* * *

"Are you kidding me?!' Zack cried in disbelief. "Why do we have to go?! We shouldn't have to after what happened!"

It had been three days since Emily had been abducted by Kingpin. Three days without any leads or word, nothing to help the police know where to find her. Since then, Maureen and Joanne had practically began living in the Condo, hoping to do what they could to alleviate the Cohen family's torment and worry, and Benny and Allison stopped by every evening to do the same.

At this exact moment, however, only Mark, Penny, Rodolfo, Zack and Lucia were in the Condo, and Zack was voicing his offence at Mark's instruction for them to head off to school.

"Dad, how do you expect us to go to school when Mom's still missing?" Zack argued. "It's not like we'd be able to pay attention to the stupid stuff the teachers are saying anyway."

"Zack," Penny whispered, looking up from her task of changing the bandages on Mark's injured shoulder. "Just listen to Dad, okay? Considering what's happened, a little normalcy might do us all some good. Besides, Mom would have wanted you to go to school, too."

"But…" Lucia spoke hesitantly, "what if…what if something happens while we're gone?"

"If we hear anything, I'll come pick you three up myself," Mark replied, his voice low and horse. "Just…get to school. All of you."

"Zack, let's just go," Rodolfo instructed sadly. "We should check up with Alvin and Zoey, anyway. And maybe we'll stop by and visit Kris after school, too. They're all worried about Aunt Emily, too." For a moment, Zack held Rodolfo's gaze before he silently relented. Once they were out in the hall and headed for the elevator, however, Zack turned on Rodolfo.

"Rodolfo, what's with you?" Zack cried. "How could you want to go to school? Don't you even care about…."

"Don't you _dare_ say I don't care about Aunt Emily!" Rodolfo hissed in anger. "But…it's hard…being at home…with her gone. When I'm there, I keep expecting her to come home from shopping or something. But then, I remember, and….

"Besides, you also have to think about Uncle Mark, too. Last night…I woke up in the middle of the night, and was going to get some water from the kitchenette. He was still wide awake, staring out the window in the family room. In case it escaped your attention, he has dark circles under his eyes. I don't think Uncle Mark has slept much since it happened, if he's even sleeping at all. I…I don't think he needs any more reminders about Aunt Emily being with that…" Rodolfo instantly trailed off, words failing him completely.

"I...I didn't think about that," Zack admitted. The expression on Lucia's face showed that she was feeling the same as her brother.

"Yeah," Rodolfo nodded. "So…as long as Aunt Emily's…not home….I think the best thing to do is…not give Uncle Mark a hard time."

The trio was silent the rest of the way to school, but Zack kept on sneaking glances at Rodolfo. It might have been his imagination, but he was sure that there was something different about his 'cousin' ever since their return from Los Angeles. For some reason Zack couldn't put his finger on, Rodolfo seemed to be more…mature now. After a moment, Zack decided to ask Kris if she'd noticed it too. After all, Kris was usually the most observant in their group, and she always seemed to be more attuned to Rodolfo's moods than he was. If there really had been a change in Rodolfo, she would have noticed it.

* * *

Around lunchtime, Maureen and Joanne showed up at the Condo with a box of pizza to share with Mark and Penny. The four of them ate in silence, until Mark excused himself to go to the bathroom. Only then did Maureen turn to Penny.

"Pen? How's he holding up?"

"Not so good," Penny admitted, looking down. "He hardly interacts with any of us. He'll respond if you say something to him directly, but most of the time, he'll just sit around, staring off into space. Truthfully, I think that if he didn't have Rodolfo, Zack and Lucia to worry about, he probably would just stay in bed all day. I think…he still blames himself for what happened to Mom."

"Is there anything more we can do?" Joanne asked, her concern for Mark visible on her face."

"I…I don't know, Aunt Joanne," Penny replied, shaking her head. "I might be a nurse, but I specialize in the medical. There's nothing to prescribe for this type of problem. Not knowing where Mom is, if she's even still…still alive…" Penny's voice broke on the last word, and she could not say anymore.

"I'm sorry," Joanne's expression contorted in sorrow. "I shouldn't have said anything." Penny was about to reply, but never got the chance. Two things happened almost at once. First, Mark reappeared from his bathroom, and a few seconds later, there was an unexpected knock at the door.

"That's odd," Penny announced in confusion. "It's too early for the Coffins to stop by, and school doesn't get out until three."

"Maybe it's Sergeant Kurtz!" Maureen guessed hopefully. "Maybe he's found something!" Trying to hold back the hope at Maureen's words to avoid possible disappointment, Penny answered the door. However, while it wasn't Sergeant Kurtz, her face still lit up once she saw who it was.

"James!" Penny cried happily. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Penny girl," James smiled tenderly at the strawberry-blonde haired girl. "Turns out I had the day off today, so…I wanted to stop by and see how you and Mark are holding up." For a moment, James caught Mark's eye and sighed when the filmmaker nodded in numb acknowledgement.

"What's that?" Maureen suddenly asked, noticing the small manila envelope in James' hand.

"Oh, right," James' smile faded slightly. "I found this out in the hall, and…it was addressed to Mark." Sure enough, the words 'To Mr. Cohen' was written on the front. As if in a trance, Mark crossed the room and took the envelope from James. Inside, there was a simple VHS cassette tape. With an unreadable expression on his face, Mark stepped into the family room and inserted the tape into the VCR, taking a seat on the old orange couch. Maureen, Joanne, Penny and James all came to join him wordlessly.

"I really hope this isn't that tape that kills you in a week," Maureen whispered, trying to make a joke. Seconds later, however, everyone was instantly wishing that it was that tape. As the video began, the face of Kingpin appeared on the TV screen, his expression cruelly contented.

"Good morning, Mr. Cohen," Kingpin greeted in a tauntingly pleasant way. "So sorry that we couldn't get the chance to catch up the last time we saw each other, but I was otherwise occupied. You understand, right?

"But that aside, I must admit that I was surprised to see you again, _Scarf Boy_. Who would have thought that _you_ were the infamous Mr. Cohen that Emily ended up marrying? On the other hand, it was very good news for me. A prime example of two birds with one stone." With those words, Kingpin's false friendliness was replaced with cold bitterness. "As you've guessed, I remember the part you played eighteen years ago. You are just as much to blame for my arrest as your _charming_ little wife. So, you can consider this little movie I made up _your_ retribution."

The video image suddenly altered, and Kingpin's face was replaced by a filthy looking room that was filled only with an overturned rusty file cabinet and an old mattress that looked as if someone had unearthed it from a junkyard somewhere. The camera that had recorded this room had been positioned in such a way that they were seeing it from above.

"Get your hands off me!" The five Bohemians all leaned forward instinctively as Emily's voice was heard. They all watched, completely frozen, as a heavyset man dragged a struggling Emily into the dirty room. The heavyset man, smiling lewdly the whole time, roughly shoved her against the wall before pinning her there with his body.

"That's the way, Mrs. Cohen," he grinned, his voice shaking with amusement. "I prefer women spirited enough to put up a fight." As he spoke, the heavyset man brought his hands forward. With one hand pinning Emily's arms against the wall, he reached around to her front, sliding his free hand under the sweater she was wearing. The position of the camera that had filmed this gave the five Bohemians a clear view of the heavyset man pressing and squeezing at her breasts, the grin on his face growing wider as Emily began breathing heavily in disgust. A cruel chuckle escaped from the heavyset man's throat as he leaned forward and slid his tongue across Emily's neck, his hand migrating down to skim over the spot between her legs.

At that moment, an angry growl rumbled in Emily's throat, and she threw her head back, hitting the man in the nose. The sudden attack momentarily forced him to release Emily, clutching his sore nose with a cry of aggravated pain. Trying to take advantage of this, Emily attempted to escape, but her left leg gave way beneath her weight, and she fell to the ground.

As she watched this, Joanne gave a sudden gasp, turning to the corner of the family room, where Emily's cane was propped against the wall. No one ever thought much of the car accident that Emily had been in years ago anymore, mostly since she managed to get by quite well, but the fact remained that the muscles in her left leg had been permanently damaged in the accident. Now, without the use of her cane, she could barely even stand on her own, much less run from the heavyset man. Feeling increasingly sick, Joanne forced herself to look back at the TV screen, but not before chancing a quick glance at the others. Maureen was decisively looking off in the opposite direction, refusing to watch anymore of this. On the other hand, Penny was looking like she was close to being sick, and James was visibly beyond furious. Finally, Mark was sitting rigidly on the couch, the expression on his face unreadable as his eyes remained glued to the TV.

By now, the heavyset man had recovered from the attack, and was now pinning Emily to the ground.

"What's wrong, Cohen," he laughed tauntingly. "You don't want to start off by messing around? Very well. I don't have to; I only bothered because I thought _you'd_ enjoy some preparation. I suppose I was wrong. Have it your way."

In one quick movement, the heavyset man withdrew a switchblade from his back pocket, extending the blade. Grinning wickedly at the sudden look of fear in Emily's eyes, he slashed violently down her front. While he didn't cut the skin, the blade quickly sliced through Emily's sweater and the front of her bra, exposing her chest in a matter of seconds.

"Hmm," the heavyset man leered at what he was seeing before lewdly winking up at Emily. "That boy of yours was one lucky fellow, wasn't he?" Not giving her a chance to reply, he moved forward and caught one of her nipples between his teeth, biting savagely. For the second time, Emily started to breathe heavily, her eyes clenching shut, clearly waiting for him to let his guard down again. This time, however, the heavyset man seemed to anticipate Emily's plan and nimbly dodged as she attempted to knee him in the gut.

Getting to his feet, the man held Emily down by placing a foot against her neck. Hissing in fury, Emily tried in vain to push his foot off, but could only succeed in digging her nails into his ankle. Laughing cruelly at her feeble attempts, the heavyset man undid the front of his dirty jeans. The moment he was finished with unzipping, he was hovering over Emily once again, his hand replacing his foot around her neck. With his other hand, he worked at removing Emily's pants with very little effort.

That was all Penny could take. Turing away, she hid her face in James' chest, only then noticing the wet moisture of her tears that were now slipping from her eyes. Immediately, James' hand was on her back, rubbing comforting circles over her spine. Unfortunately, he could do nothing to block out the sound of Emily suddenly speaking.

"Stop it! Get off me! N..._AARRRGGHHH_!"

Clenching her teeth, Penny forced herself to look back up, just in time to see the heavyset man kneeling over her mother, holding her legs apart as he brutally pounded against her hard, grunting vulgarly and smirking at Emily's visible disgust. Emily's teeth clenched against the assault, and everyone could tell that she was doing her best not to scream, seemingly knowing that was what the heavyset man wanted. However, the heavyset man seemed to take this as his cue to drive into her even more violently, shoving her thighs even further apart. This time, he stared to slam his body against hers, laughing exuberantly as Emily's head banged against the hard floor against his onslaught.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the heavyset man seemed to have had his fill, and finished off with one last savage thrust into her. Laughing to himself, he got to his feet, casually zipping up his fly as he did so. Before he left the room, he turned back to Emily once more. She was lying motionless on the ground, still breathing heavily. This time, the reason for her heavy breathing was not just disgust, but pain and humiliation as well.

"What's the matter, Mrs. Cohen," the heavyset man mocked. "Didn't you enjoy that? I would have thought you would be used to that, what with those pups you apparently squeezed out. Hmm, no matter. Maybe Ryou and Ryuu will be more your speed. Then again, they prefer to share everything, so…maybe not." Laughing to himself, the heavyset man strolled over to the door and opened it.

"She's all yours, boys," he announced to two Asian men who walked past him, both grinning in lust. The moment the heavyset man had left the room, they practically lunged for Emily, dragging her over to the overturned filing cabinet. Once again, Emily tried to put up a fight.

"Let go!" she hissed, struggling against the dual holds as the taller of the two Asian men forced her to lie face down over the filing cabinet. As he held her down, his partner came around to the other side to face Emily straight on. Grinning even wider, the second man pulled down his pants, exposing himself completely. Meanwhile, the taller Asian man copied his example while keeping a firm hand against Emily's back, ensuring that she wouldn't be able to get up.

"No way," Emily whispered, unable to hide her horror upon realizing what the two Asian men were planning.

"Never had the pleasure, have you?" the second Asian man snickered, gripping Emily's chin in his hand. Smirking at his partner, he pressed his manhood against Emily's mouth. However, Emily glared up at him, keeping her mouth firmly shut and refusing to give him what he wanted.

"Aw, come on, cutie, don't knock it," he laughed. "You might like it. Everyone _else_ seems to." In response, Emily only tightened her jaw even more, but this proved to be ineffective. At some unseen signal, the taller of the two Asian men, who had been stealthily positioning himself behind Emily, roughly shoved himself into her opening. The unexpected pain of his entry forced Emily to cry out. Taking his chance, the second Asian man shoved his manhood deep into her open mouth.

At that moment, Joanne, Maureen, Penny and James all jumped at the sudden strangled scream, even more terrible than that of a wounded animal, which rang out throughout the Condo. In the blink of an eye, Mark was at the VCR, reaching in and yanking out the tape with such force, the magnetic strip of tape was pulled completely out. Without a pause, he threw the tape against the wall, where the impact broke the plastic coating in two. Paying no attention to the shocked look on his friends and daughter's faces, he stalked over to the kitchenette, stopping at the metal table. For a few seconds, he hovered over the tabletop before, with another cry of pure rage, he violently overturned the table before dropping to his knees, covering his face with one hand.

After only a moment's hesitation, Penny slowly stepped forward, kneeling at her father's side. Slightly trembling, she cautiously placed a soft hand on Mark's shoulder. At first, Mark flinched away from her touch, turning to face her. The look on his face was one of utmost devastation, with silent tears flowing from his blue eyes.

"Emily," he whispered in a horse voice. "She...they…no. _NO_!" In an instant, Mark broke down, his body wracked with loud sobs. Feeling fresh tears of her own sliding down her face, Penny pulled her father into the tightest hug she could manage, barely aware that Maureen, Joanne and James had all came over to join them on the floor, trying to comfort them both.

As she gently soothed Mark's hair in comfort, Maureen turned back to the broken remains of Kingpin's tape, feeling an intense rage and hatred wash over her. In the past, she used to think that she hated quite a few people. She often hated the Man for what he did to Roger, Mimi and April. She hated those narrow-minded people who looked down on her and Joanne, just because they were open about their relationship. At one point, she had even hated Benny when he married Allison, turning against his friends in the process. Now, she understood that she had never really hated any of them, because all that time, she didn't truly understand what hate was. But now, she understood _exactly_ what hate was like, and she knew that nothing could stop her from hating Kingpin. Meeting the eyes of Joanne and James, she could tell that they all felt the same way.


	8. An Unexpected Lead

**AN:** This chapter is very short, but the next one will probably be longer. There is some foreshadowing in this chapter as well, so a warm, gooey virtual brownie to everyone who can correctly predict what will happen in the next update.  


* * *

In the warehouse where the newly-reformed Rat Fang Gang resided, the Man was slowly making his way to one of the backrooms, carrying a take-out container of soup and a plastic spoon in one hand. Upon reaching the door to the backroom he was headed for, he momentarily stopped, torment suddenly filling his face. For a second or two, he seemed to be steeling himself for something unpleasant, but then he pushed the door open. He was immediately greeted by the rapid and unyielding sound of the springs in the old mattress creaking in protest, as well as the sight of his associate, Keane, pumping his body against the woman sprawled out beneath him at an almost brutal pace. Focusing his eyes on a point away from this display, the Man cleared his throat to announce his presence.

"Do you _mind_?" Keane hissed through his teeth, continuing his violent thrusts as he spoke without even a pause.

"Kingpin's orders," the Man commented off-handedly. "He said that we needed to give her time to rest occasionally. Otherwise, this might end up killing her. Kingpin does not want her to die so easily, as we both know." Keane gave a grunt of acknowledgement before driving into Emily even faster than before, accenting each plunge with a primitive grunt. After a few seconds of this, he gave one final lurch, reaching his peak with a vulgarly satisfied cry. Without a single word to the Man, Keane withdrew himself from Emily's unmoving form and walked out, a sickeningly pleased smirk on his face.

After Keane left, the Man stiffly stepped over to Emily's side.

"I've brought you something to eat," he announced formally. "Even Kingpin wants you to keep your strength up." When he was met without a response, the Man forced himself to glance over at Emily. Immediately, his professional aloofness nearly slipped away entirely. Emily's hazel eyes were trained on him, but they were blank and lifeless. For a terrifying moment, the Man worried that she had already died from the almost endless assaults from his associates, but then he noticed the subtle rise and fall of her chest that indicated she was still breathing. The next second, however, his instant relief was replaced by revulsion.

While Emily was still alive physically, the time she'd spent in this room had effectively shattered her very spirit. She was like an empty shell now, and probably was no longer even aware of what was happening to her. Gritting his teeth, the Man instantly knew that this was probably what Kingpin wanted to happen; to break this woman beyond repair. Just one look at Emily was enough for anyone to see that he had succeeded.

Forcing his repulsion aside, the Man took a seat on the side of the mattress. With one hand, he reached out to pull Emily into a sitting position, flinching at how easy it was to manipulate her body. It was almost like handling a rag doll, except she didn't fall back down when he removed his hand from her back.

"Here," the Man instructed briskly, spooning up the soup and holding it out to her. Emily's eyes remained blank, but her mouth opened willingly enough, allowing him to place the soup-filled spoon inside. To the Man's discouragement, most of the soup ended up dribbling out of the corners of her mouth anyway. With a frustrated sigh, he pulled out an old handkerchief from his jacket pocket to wipe off her face.

While he didn't claim to know anything about how the doctors at hospitals determined such things, he would have bet everything he had that they would diagnose Emily as a vegetable. Try as he might, the Man could not think of anything else Kingpin could do to this woman. The only thing left to do was to just kill her and be done with it. On the other hand, the Man also realized that Kingpin would not end her life just yet. He was going to drag this on for much longer.

As he silently fumed about Kingpin's obvious intentions for Emily, the Man managed to get most of the soup down her throat. In almost the same instant the bottom of the soup bowl was reached, the door once again opened. Holding back a sigh, the Man looked up at the short balding man standing in the doorway, recognizing him instantly as a newcomer named Jim

"I think our guest has rested enough, don't you?" Jim snickered, licking his lips in anticipation as he strolled over to the mattress, undoing the front of his jeans as he did so. With a perverted gleam in his eyes, Jim crudely winked at the Man. "Well? What are you waiting for? Get lost, I'm not running a peep show here." Chuckling at his joke, Jim immediately turned his attention to the unresponsive Emily. In doing so, he missed the murderous glare the Man directed at him before stalking out of the room, clearly in a hurry to leave. However, he barely had a chance to step out before Jim began plowing into Emily's body with abandon. Once again, intense torment filled the Man's face, but it was gone as he strode off, trying to pay no attention to the sounds that emanated from the backroom.

* * *

Sergeant Kurtz gave a heavy sigh as he examined the broken remains of the tape Kingpin had sent Mark. Shaking his head, he turned to face Mark, who was standing by the window, staring aimlessly at the street below. For the moment, they were the only ones in the Condo. Once Rodolfo, Zack and Lucia had returned home from visiting Kris after school, Penny, Maureen and Joanne had taken them all out for ice cream almost immediately, in an attempt to keep the three of them from hearing about the tape. Before leaving, however, Penny had called up Sergeant Kurtz to tell him about what had happened.

"Mark," Sergeant Kurtz spoke carefully to the filmmaker, who showed no sign of hearing him. "Mark, I understand how you must feel after seeing….what you've just seen. Believe me; I'd be going through the same thing if it were _my_ wife, Beverly, on that video.

"All the same, I really wish you hadn't thrown this tape into the wall. At least not before I had a chance to see what was on it." At these words, Mark finally reacted. Spinning around in and instant, he glared at Sergeant Kurtz in fury.

"I thought you just said you _understood_!" Mark yelled. "And now you're telling me that you _want_ to see those…." For a moment, he stumbled over his words, unable to come up with a bad enough word that could properly describe the men on the tape. "You _WANT_ to see Emily, my wife, your _best friend's sister_, going though _that_?"

"Of course not!" Sergeant Kurtz insisted, his face showing his disgust at the very thought. "But…you said that there was a short…introduction from Kingpin before….you were shown Emily. I was thinking that, maybe if I watched that introduction, I might have been able to spot some sort of clue about where this video had been made. If I could figure something like that out, it could help lead us to where they're keeping her." At this realization, Mark's face deflated in horror and despair.

"I…I didn't…" Mark mumbled to himself as he collapsed onto the couch, burring his face in his hands. "I didn't even _think_ about that. _F-ck_! That might have been our one chance to find out where she is, and I…"

"Don't blame yourself, Mark," Sergeant Kurtz comforted, crossing the room to lay a consoling hand on Mark's shoulder. "Your actions were understandable, after all. I don't think there's a man alive who wouldn't follow your example if it were _their_ wife in this situation. And I'm telling you once again, Mark. We _will_ get her back. I give you my word on that."

"Sergeant Kurtz?" Both men reacted in surprise at the sound of a third voice. It took them a few seconds to realize it was coming from the police scanner attached to Sergeant Kurtz's belt. "Come in, Sergeant Kurtz." Immediately slipping into his role as a member of the NYPD, Sergeant Kurtz grabbed the police scanner to answer the call.

"This is Sergeant Kurtz," he announced.

"We need you to report back to headquarters," the caller instructed. "We…may have an…unexpected lead on the Kingpin case." A strange sound slipped from Mark's throat as he met Sergeant Kurtz's eyes, which mirrored his surprise, as well as a tiny amount of hope.

"I'll be there in five," Sergeant Kurtz stated before returning the police scanner to his belt.

"No," Mark shook his head as he got to his feet. "_We'll_ be there in five." In spite of himself, Sergeant Kurtz found himself smiling at the hardened glint that had suddenly appeared in Mark's blue eyes.

"Somehow, Mr. Cohen," he chuckled, "I was expecting you to say that."


	9. The Conscience of an Adversary

**AN: **I hope you enjoy this chapter. It finally gave me a chance to reveal something I've wanted to reveal for a while now. Hopefully, everyone who reads this will be taken by surprise.  


* * *

Together, Mark and Sergeant Kurtz made their way through police headquarters, heading for the interrogation rooms, where they had been told the informant was being held. Upon their arrival, they were met with a young officer who was standing guard outside the door.

"Officer Blackwood," Sergeant Kurtz greeted the young officer.

"Hello, Sergeant Kurtz," Officer Blackwood replied. "I'm glad you're here. The informant refuses to speak to anyone but you."

"Hmmm," Sergeant Kurtz frowned in contemplation. "I see. Well, then, please head to the observation room with Mr. Cohen."

"Sir?" Officer Blackwood blinked over at Mark, visibly confused about why a civilian was present for a police interrogation.

"It's all right, Officer Blackwood," Sergeant Kurtz smiled in encouragement. "Mr. Cohen played a vital role in the original arrest of Kingpin eighteen years ago, and he is just as involved in this matter now as he was back then." For a brief moment, Mark met Sergeant Kurtz's eye, feeling immense gratitude for his cop friend. It was clear to the filmmaker that Sergeant Kurtz was simply inventing a reasonable reason to include him in this.

"This way, Mr. Cohen," Officer Blackwood invited, escorting Mark into the observation room. The moment he stepped into the room and looked at the two-way mirror to get a glimpse of the mystery informant, Mark felt his insides clench in shock, confusion, and anger.

It was the Man.

* * *

"All right then," Sergeant Kurtz began his interrogation. If the middle-aged cop was as surprised as Mark was upon seeing that the Man was their informant, his years of experience on the force prevented him from showing it. "Let's start at the beginning, shall we? First off, why are you here?"

"I came," the Man announced, looking back at Sergeant Kurtz with a laid-back unemotional stare, "because…I wanted to tell you where Kingpin is keeping Mrs. Cohen."

"As I recall," Sergeant Kurtz pointed out, "the last time you gave us information on Kingpin's whereabouts, that information led Mrs. Cohen and her friends into a trap, one that nearly cost them their lives. So, unless you can give me a good reason to believe that you are not simply planning on sending us into another trap,…"

"Maybe I don't _want_ her to die!" the Man snapped, his expression suddenly angry. "And in case it escaped your attention, Kurtz, the last time I was here, Kingpin wasn't informed that Mrs. Cohen could pick locks, was he?" For a moment, Sergeant Kurtz remained silent, studying the Man's face intently. What did Emily's ability to pick locks have to do with anything?

"What are you trying to say?" Sergeant Kurtz finally asked.

"Why did I let her know where the little girl, Penny, was last time?" the Man asked. "Why didn't I let Kingpin know that Emily was able to pick the handcuff locks when he left her tied up? Did it ever occur to you that I don't _want_ anything bad to happen to her?"

"Why would you care?" Sergeant Kurtz demanded, leaning across the table. "You are a known drug dealer, one who we've been after for a long time. You spend every day selling illegal substances to people, knowing that what you're selling could one day kill them. Why should the life of Mrs. Cohen matter to you?"

"Because I owe it to her father, Zeke Goodhall," the Man announced. This time, Sergeant Kurtz could not hide his surprise at the Man's response, a fact that made the drug dealer smile smugly. "Why do you look so surprised, sergeant?" the Man smirked. "You already knew that Zeke used to work for Kingpin, too. Is it really so shocking to know that he and I once worked alongside each other? Is it too hard to believe that we might have actually been _friends_ at one point?" It took Sergeant Kurtz almost a full minute to find his voice again.

"You…were friends with Emily's father?" he spoke in amazement.

"When I first started out in my line of work," the Man began, "I got into some trouble by accidentally selling in another dealer's territory. Zeke was the one who helped save my neck. Ever since then, we looked out for each other. When Zeke made the choice to leave Kingpin's group with that drug formula, years ago, I was the one who tried to cover up his tracks when he left for the suburbs. But Kingpin's followers somehow tracked him down, regardless of my attempts at keeping their location a secret.

"I can't even begin to tell you, Kurtz, how it felt to know that I couldn't help save my old friend's life. But when I found out that Zeke's children, Zack and Emily, had managed to return to the city after their parents' deaths, I made the choice to do what I could to keep them both safe. Of course, I couldn't really do it openly, could I? I was still bound to Kingpin, and I couldn't easily leave the Rat Fangs. The only way I could do that was if I left New York altogether. But I couldn't do that, either. That would mean I would no longer be able to secretly keep an eye on Zeke's children. And that is why I'm here now. I take it Kingpin already sent that tape he made of what his men are doing to Emily, what they're still doing to her right now. I'm not sure how much you watched of it, but...if you saw what it's done to her. I saw the result of it myself, less than an hour ago. Considering the state she's in, I have doubts that she'd even recognize her own husband and children at this point. I owe it to Zeke to get her out of there. It's…the least I can do for him."

Once again, Sergeant Kurtz was silent, contemplating the Man's story while studying his face. The years he spent on the force, along with his police training, was telling him that the Man was simply a talented actor who was trying to lure the NYPD into a false sense of security. However, his other half was reminded of his own feelings about Emily, and how he often felt the need to protect her more than the other New Yorkers. After all, Emily's brother had been his best friend and partner. Even though Zack Goodhall had died years ago, Sergeant Kurtz still felt the strong ties of friendship for him, and therefore did what he could to keep Emily protected. Wasn't what the Man was claiming about him and Emily's father almost the same thing?

"I know I might regret this," Sergeant Kurtz finally announced. "But…I do believe what you're telling me. Because of that,…I'm going to trust what you have to say. Although, I…I do have _one_ question."

"And that would be?" the Man prompted.

"Emily. Did she know? About you and her father, Zeke." For a brief second, Sergeant Kurtz thought he saw the hint of a smile on the Man's face, but it was gone the next second.

"It wasn't something she would announce to the world," the Man shrugged. "On the rare occasions we'd meet face-to-face, Emily was very…vocal about her opinions on how I earned money, pointing out how half of those kids she used to look after wound up at the Center because of what I was selling. And of course, once she became friends with Davis and the rest of them…well, she knew how they felt about me, so she wasn't about to bring it up to them, was she?"

"No," Sergeant Kurtz agreed. "I don't suppose she would have."

* * *

In the observation room, Mark listened to the Man's explanation about why he was willing to help them save Emily, feeling as if a heavy weight was pressing down on his brain. The Man and Emily's father had been friends? He knew that the Man did have a point; it really shouldn't have surprised him, considering that they both had worked for Kingpin in the past. But whenever he thought about Emily's father, he imagined him as a good man, someone he was sorry he never got the chance to meet. The Man, on the other hand, was someone Mark and his friends always held a grudge towards, someone they'd been unable to forgive for indirectly causing the deaths of Roger, Mimi, and April. The very thought that the Man could actually be, to use a cliché saying, a _good guy_, was almost too much for Mark to take in.

What was even harder for him to fully comprehend was that the Man claimed Emily had known about the friendship he'd had with her father. Even though he could understand the reasons the Man was giving Sergeant Kurtz for Emily never telling anyone about it before, he still couldn't quite believe it. He had only seen Emily and the Man together on two occasions, both of which occurred the last time they'd faced Kingpin. Neither time did they show any sign of knowing each other beforehand.

_No_, Mark suddenly thought to himself. _That's not…exactly true. The last time the Man was in that interrogation room…._

**Flashback**

_The Bohemians all stood silently, watching the interrogation behind the two-way mirror. Officer Kurtz was trying to convince the Man to talk, but to no avail._

"_If it's retaliation from the Rat Fangs you're worried about," Officer Kurtz announced, "then I can assure you we will do what we can do offer you protection, even placing you into the witness relocation program." the Man did not reply, and continued to scowl._

"_Can't they just force him to talk?" Maureen whined._

"_He's exercising the right to the Fifth," Joanne replied. "He doesn't have to talk if he doesn't want to."_

"_But he had to talk!" Maureen went on. "Penny might already be…"_

"_MAUREEN!" Mark cried, instinctively placing a hand on Emily's shoulder, who was now looking at the drama queen with a mixed expression of fear and frustration._

"_Oh! Emily, don't worry!" Maureen quickly tried to ease her friend's tangible anxiety. "I'm sure Penny's gonna be okay. Sure it's been quite a few hours and all, so there's no telling what they might have already done, but there is still a chance Penny's not…."_

_That did it. Emily let out a grunt, and half-sprinted out of the room. "Hey, Emily, wait!" Mark called after the photographer to no avail. Seconds later, she appeared in the interrogation room._

"_Miss Goodhall, you know you don't belong in here!" Officer Kurtz reprimanded. Emily, however, ignored him, and walked right up to the Man, pulling out a photograph of Penny and showing to him._

"_Please!" she begged. "This girl. That's all I want. She could die if you don't help us now."_

"_He's not going to listen to you, Miss…" Officer Kurtz began, but Emily cut him off._

"_Officer Kurtz, we're running out of time, and your way isn't working very well," she shot out, before turning back to the Man, who continued to study the young girl appraisingly. "Please!" Emily continued to plead. "She's my girl. I'd give anything to get her back. You don't even have to say anything, if you're worried about the Rat Fangs coming after you for betraying their location." Emily reached into her pocket and took out a map of Manhattan, spreading it out on the table. "You can just point. That way, you're not even saying where they are, so you technically wouldn't be ratting out. You can just point to where they are, and that'll be enough. Please. I don't care about them; I don't even care about you. I just want the little girl."_

_From behind the two-way mirror, the others watched as Emily pleaded with the Man to help, as the drug dealer continued to stare at Emily, his face vacant of any expression._

"_He's not going to help," Roger shook his head. But then, to everyone's surprise, the Man, very slowly, extended a hand, his eyes never leaving Emily's mournful face, and pointed to a section on the map in front of him._

"_Pier 92, Hudson River Park," Officer Kurtz announced, looking at the map. Smiling, Emily backed out of the room, mouthing a tearful __'_thank you'_._

**End Flashback**

_That's right,_ Mark continued to think to himself. _The Man…only surrendered Penny's location when he saw that Emily was involved in the matter_. At the time, Mark had to admit he'd been too worried about Penny's safety to give it much thought. Looking back, however, he realized he should have been more suspicious about it.

"Mr. Cohen?" The sound of his name caught the filmmaker's attention. Turning, he saw that Sergeant Kurtz was now standing next to him. Surprised, Mark looked back at the interrogation room, where the Man was now being escorted out by Officer Blackwood.

"Oh," Mark spoke in instant understanding. "The interrogation's over, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," Sergeant Kurtz nodded. "He's told us where Emily is. I'll be leading a squadron over to Kingpin's new hideout the second the briefing is over."

"Right," Mark gave a forced smile.

"Mark, I understand how mind-boggling that interrogation must have been," Sergeant Kurtz spoke gently. "I have a hard time wrapping my mind around it as well. But come this time tomorrow, we'll be able to have Emily herself confirm it."

"Yeah," Mark sighed heavily. For a long time, Sergeant Kurtz studied Mark's face in compassionate sympathy.

"I'll get her back, Mark," he promised. "I promised you I'd bring her back to you, and I will. Mark, trust me." Finally, Mark looked away from the interrogation room, meeting Sergeant Kutz's eyes.

"I do, Sergeant Kurtz" Mark replied. "I do."

"Then what's the problem?" Once again, Mark looked away.

"The Man," Mark whispered. "He said…he said '_considering the state she's in, I have doubts that she'd even recognize her own husband and children at this point_.' What did that mean? I want to know what he meant by that. I want to know what they did to her. But at the same time…I don't think I want to know."

"Yes," Sergeant Kurtz agreed, bowing his head in sorrow. "I'm worried about that, too."

* * *

**AN: **Before I sign off for now, I'd like to give a warm, gooey virtual brownie to EB91, as promised, for not only correctly guessing that the Man was the informant, but also for being a faithful reviewer for this story. Her reviews have given me the inspiration and the dedication to continue writing this story to the end. Thank you, EB91.


	10. Returning to the Lion’s Den

**AN: **Happy Halloween to all my readers. Hope your Halloween goes a lot better than mine. I live in a town where Halloween might as well not exist at all. No one does anything for the holiday anymore, and this year, I'm feeling particularly gypped. We didn't even carve pumpkins this year! So, my Halloween will mainly consist of me working until six at night, and then spending the rest of the day in my room watching Halloween-themed movies and eating the candy corn I bought. (I love candy corn. It never seems like Halloween until I have some.)

Anyway, consider this your Halloween treat. (I realize that this isn't really Halloween related like my previous story, The Other Virus, but I really don't have any ideas for another spooky RENT story at the moment.)

* * *

"No, Penny," Mark spoke into the police station's payphone. "Stay at the Condo with Rodolfo, Zack and Lucia. I'm just about to start heading back home myself."

At the moment, Sergeant Kurtz was still in the middle of the police briefing, preparing the rest of his squadron to storm Kingpin's hideout and save Emily. Before heading into the briefing, however, Sergeant Kurtz had instructed Mark to return home, refusing to allow him to accompany the police during their raid. At first, Mark had tried to argue, but Sergeant Kurtz had put his foot down, reminding the filmmaker that, unlike last time, he now had children and a 'nephew' to think about, and that if something went wrong, they could loose both parents in the same night. As much as he hated to admit it, Mark was able to understand Sergeant Kurtz's concern and had relented, but had also made the cop promise to notify them as soon as Emily was safe. So, while Sergeant Kurtz continued with the briefing, Mark took the time to call ahead to fill his family in on what had happened, also making sure that they would all stay there until he arrived home.

As Mark hung up the phone after speaking to Penny, a sudden commotion caught his attention.

"Mrs. Kurtz!" a sudden voice called out down the hall. "Hang on, he's still in the briefing room!" Looking up, Mark blinked in surprise at the sight of a tall black-haired woman heading in his direction, instantly recognizing her as Sergeant Kurtz's wife, Beverly. Even though he only saw Beverly in person around the holidays, when she and Sergeant Kurtz would invite him and the family over for dinner, Mark always found her to be a very likable woman with a strong and warm maternal nature. Right now, however, her face was filled with worry and torment

"Beverly!" Mark spoke as he stepped forward to meet her. "What are you…?"

"I heard that they found where Emily's being kept," Beverly explained, her voice shaking slightly.

"Yeah, they did," Mark confirmed. "Sergeant Kurtz is getting ready to head out there now." Immediately, Beverly's eyes shone with unshed tears.

"Does that mean…Kevin's going to go down there, too?"

"Well…yeah, I think so. Why…"

"Beverly?" It was at that moment that the briefing came to an end and the police squadron begin filing out, with Sergeant Kurtz in the lead. The moment he noticed his wife standing there, he had crossed the hall to her side. "Beverly, it's late. You should be home."

"Kevin," Beverly gripped her husband's hand tightly. "Are you…you're going to go after Kingpin, aren't you?"

"Of course, I am," Sergeant Kurtz replied softly. "It's my job, Bev. More than that, this is Emily's life on the line. How can I not do what I can?"

"I know," Beverly nodded, not meeting Sergeant Kurtz's eyes. "Believe me; I know why you're going out there tonight. And I know I shouldn't be acting like this. I've been a police officer's wife for a long time now, I should be used to you going out and risking your life every day. But I…."

"Beverly," Sergeant Kurtz stooped down so his face would be level with hers. "If there's something wrong, just come out and say it, all right?" Holding back a sudden sob, Beverly finally met Sergeant Kurtz's gaze.

"I feel so stupid for acting like this, Kevin, I really do," she apologized. "But…the moment I heard you found where Emily was, I knew you'd be going out tonight. And…I just got a terrible feeling about you heading out there. I know it's stupid. After all, I worry about you every time you have to work, knowing that it might be the night when I get that call. But tonight…that old fear seems much stronger. I don't know if it's because it's Emily you're going after or not, but I had to…at least see you… before you left."

"Oh, Beverly," Sergeant Kurtz sighed softly before kissing her tenderly. "I know you worry about me. But while you might be tired of hearing this, I've been trained to handle situations like this."

"Okay," Beverly nodded, keeping her eyes directed at the floor, clearly holding back the tears. "Just…promise me that you'll be careful."

"Of course, I promise," Sergeant Kurtz agreed. "I'll see you in a few hours." With one final kiss, Sergeant Kurtz turned and headed off after the rest of his police squadron, with Beverly refusing to look away until he was out of sight.

"Beverly?" Mark cautiously chose that moment to step forward. "I…I know how you feel, so…" Before Mark could finish, Beverly turned and threw her arms around him, breaking down.

"Oh, Mark," Beverly sobbed. "I'm _so_ sorry. I know I should be more worried about you right now. Kevin's right; he _is_ trained to handle people like Kingpin, but Emily isn't, and she…."

"No, Beverly," Mark mumbled, trying to calm her down while feeling his own torment once again. "Of course you're worried about Sergeant Kurtz. Just because he's a trained police officer, it doesn't mean he's not in danger, too. Like I said, we have the same problem tonight."

"Yeah, I suppose we do," Beverly choked back her sobs. "Both our hearts are hanging in the balance tonight."

"Yeah," Mark agreed, nodding stiffly. "So…I think you should come back with me to the Condo. At least until this thing is done."

"No, I don't want to put you out," Beverly sniffed, pulling away.

"Beverly," Mark placed an empathetic hand on her shoulder. "We just agreed we both have the same problem tonight. Your husband and my wife are out there right now. If _I _can't bear the thought of standing by in an empty apartment, just waiting for news, I doubt you can. Come back to the Condo. At least you won't be alone tonight."

"Mark," Beverly looked back at him, her eyes shining with gratitude as well as tears. "Thank you. I'm so glad you're the one who Emily ended up marrying. She couldn't have found anyone better."

* * *

Back at the Condo, Penny slowly put the phone down after speaking with Mark, but even after she'd hung up, she remained standing by the wall, staring aimlessly off into space without really seeing anything.

"Penny?" Upon hearing her name being spoken, Penny turned to face James, who was just coming down from the upstairs bedroom, where he'd been checking on Sammy and Lucia. In light of the recent turn of events, James had found himself unable to leave Penny, and had promised he'd stay at the Condo until after the police had saved Emily. Maureen and Joanne had both left to drop Kris, Zoey and Alvin back home, but they had also promised that they'd come right back afterwards.

The moment James had reached the bottom stair, Penny dashed across the Condo and threw her arms around him.

"I can't stand this!" Penny cried, burying her face into James' chest. "Oh, James! What if something goes wrong tonight? What if Sergeant Kurtz is too late, and Mom's already… I couldn't bear it if I lost Mom, especially if it's to Kingpin."

"Penny," James spoke comfortingly, pulling her closer and gently stroking her hair. "Your mom's going to be fine. She's a strong woman, and she loves you and the rest of your family. She wouldn't just give up and leave you behind."

"But she's _never_ dealt with anything this bad before!" Penny argued, tears running down her face. "You saw that video he sent us, James. You've seen what they're doing to her. It's the same thing that destroyed my birth mother. If the same thing happens to Mom…. I can't loose both my mothers, James! I just can't!" James was unable to think of a good response to that, and simply held her tighter.

"I'm here for you, Penny Girl," he whispered. "I realize that's probably not very helpful, considering the danger your mother's in right now, but I'm here just the same." Moving very carefully, James ushered Penny to the old couch and sat her down, where he simply held her as she continued to cry.

After a good five minutes, Penny's tears had finally run dry and she was able to console herself.

"Thank you, James," Penny forced a smile, wiping away the tearstains on her cheeks. "I…I don't know what I'd have done if you weren't here."

"I'll _always_ be here for you, Pen," James promised, kissing her forehead tenderly. "Just sit tight here for a bit; I'll go make you some tea."

"Thank you," Penny nodded, her voice still rough from crying.

As James got up from the couch, however, Penny noticed something fall out of his pants pocket, landing on the floor in front of her

"What's that?" Penny asked, reaching out to pick it up.

"Oh!" James blinked in shock, his eyes widening. "That...it's nothing you need to worry about now, Penny, really. Here." James nervously reached out to take the object back, but it was too late. Penny had already recognized the object as a black ring box.

"J…James?" Penny whispered, slowly looking up at him in amazement. "Is…is this what…I think it is?" James sighed heavily, glancing at the floor as he nodded.

"I…I was planning on…asking you… a couple nights ago," he admitted. "Remember the night when we all had dinner at the Life, and I asked your father to help me get the drinks? Well…I was actually trying to get him alone to ask for his permission. But then…then your mother was…. Well, all things considered, asking you after that seemed, for want of a better term, insensitive."  
For a few minutes, James and Penny were completely silent, staring at the ring box in Penny's hand. The silence was broken when James nervously cleared his throat.

"I wish you didn't find out about it like this," he shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. "I…I'll understand if you don't…"

"James?" Penny interrupted him, meeting his eyes. "Do you…are you absolutely sure Mom's going to be fine?"

"Of course, I'm sure," James replied with conviction. "She'll be back home again in just a few more hours, Penny. I'm sure of it." Penny slowly nodded, deep in thought.

"In that case," Penny spoke quietly, "once my mother's home again, would you…ask me then?" Instantly, James felt his breath catch in his throat.

"Pe…Penny?" James whispered. "Do…do you mean you….?"

"James," Penny smiled warmly, getting to her feet to hug him tightly. "I love you, and I love Sammy. There's no one I'd rather spend my life with than the two of you."

"Penny," James breathed, his voice full of emotion. Moving forward, he tenderly kissed her in joy and passion.


	11. A Sergeant's Sacrifice

**AN: **It's Wolrd AIDS day, eveyone. In honor of this day, I'm posting the next chapter. I realize it's probably anti-climatic, but it's how I visualized this chapter to be, more or less. I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

In the Rat Fang's new hideout, Kingpin was sitting on an overturned crate, fingering a switchblade in one hand. He only looked up when he heard someone approaching, a cruel smile stretching on his face when he saw that it was Keane.

"So, how's our guest of honor doing?" Kingpin smirked.

"Well," Keane replied with a lewd grin. "She was rather unwilling to open up for a while, but after some…convincing….she's become _very_ welcoming to us."

"I thought it would be as such," Kingpin nodded in satisfaction. "I've always said that all women can be broken. The real question is, is she ready for _me_? Tell me, how long has Mrs. Cohen been with us?"

"Nearly four days, sir," Keane answered promptly.

"Four days?" Kingpin mused. "Hmmm. Yes, I think that's been more than enough time. Thank you, Keane. Before you go home for the night, be sure to check up on Mrs. Cohen. If there's anyone with her now, tell them to wrap it up. I think it's time that _I_ go and see to her." To emphasize his point, Kingpin began to twirl the switchblade between his fingers.

"Ah," Keane nodded, noticing Kingpin's action. "Has her time with us ended so soon?"

"My dear friend," Kingpin sneered. "Can you think of anything more we can do to further punish her? No, I really think that the poor girl has paid the price long enough. We really _should_ put her out of her misery now."

"Too bad," Keane sighed heavily. "I was hoping for another go."

"Save it for the next one," Kingpin instructed. "You will have _plenty_ of woman available very soon." Keane smiled in perverted anticipation as he headed off, leaving Kingpin alone to test the sharpness of his switchblade. However, a few seconds later, Keane was running back to Kingpin, a shocked and panicked look on his face,

"Sir!" Keane cried. "It's…it's the cops! There's…there's a whole mess of them right outside!"

"WHAT?" Kingpin bellowed, jumping to his feet.

"They must have found out where we were," Keane stammered, beads of stress-induced sweat coating his forehead. "I don't know how, but they…." Keane's voice trailed off when he noticed the cruel smirk forming in Kingpin's face.

"Tell me, Keane," Kingpin hissed. "Did you happen to see if Sergeant Kurtz was with the rest of those cops?"

"Um…yes, he was," Keane confirmed with a nod, unable to hide the sudden shiver as Kingpin's smile grew colder.

"Perfect," Kingpin growled. "In that case, I better go and meet our new guest." Without another word, Kingpin pushed by Keane and made his way to the back of the warehouse-turned-hideout, towards the room where Emily was being kept. He was pleased to find Emily remained in her current comatose state and did not resist when he pulled her to her feet to lead her back through the warehouse.

* * *

The police raid of the Rat Fang's new hideout did not take very long, and every gang member had been apprehended within a matter of minutes. Even so, Sergeant Kurtz still felt as if something was wrong, mostly because he had not seen Kingpin among the captured men.

"Officer Blackwood," Sergeant Kurtz turned to his friend. "I'm putting you in charge of overseeing things here for a while. I'm going to see if I can find where they're keeping Mrs. Cohen."

"Do you need backup, sir?" Officer Blackwood asked.

"If I run into any trouble, I'll call you," Sergeant Kurtz promised, patting the walkie talkie attached to his belt. Officer Blackwood nodded in understanding as Sergeant Kurtz headed off to locate Emily

The sergeant made his way through the warehouse, checking in every dark corner, and behind every object. Just when he was sure he'd almost searched the entire place, he stepped in between two storage racks and finally saw her.

A strained sound escaped from Sergeant Kurtz's throat as he flew to Emily's side. Just one look at her, and he felt sick to his stomach, and not just because she was kneeling on the cold floor, completely stripped of all clothing Her face was sallow and blank, and her hazel eyes simply stared right through him, completely dead and lifeless.

"Emily," Sergeant Kurtz whispered, crouching down next to her, throwing his jacket over her body to cover her up. "Emily, can you hear me? It's Sergeant Kurtz. I'm here to get you back home. Everyone's waiting for you. Mark, Penny, Rodolfo, Zack, Lucia….." Sergeant Kurtz broke off with a pained sigh. He had been hoping hearing the names of her loved ones would lead to some sort of response from her, but her face never displayed any emotions.

"Come on, Emily," Sergeant Kurtz spoke tenderly, carefully starting to lift her up. "Let's get you home."

At that moment, he saw someone moving into view out of the corner of his eye. Sergeant Kurtz only had time to turn and recognize Kingpin's face before feeling a sharp, stabbing pain in his chest.

"And I'll take _this_, too," Kingpin taunted, tearing the walkie talkie off Sergeant Kurtz's belt before crushing it beneath his foot. "It's nice of you to join us, Kurtzy-Kurtz." Sergeant Kurtz grunted as he looked down to see what had caused his pain and immediately saw Kingpin's switchblade buried deep into his chest. With a shaky gasp, he stumbled backwards, staring at Kingpin wordlessly.

"I've wanted to do that for a long time, you know," Kingpin laughed. "But I'm a little disappointed about how easy it was. You shouldn't have let your guard down, Sergeant. Even if you were so worried about my bait.

"And _speaking_ of my bait," Kingpin sneered down at Emily, who didn't seem to even notice what was happening right in front of her, "I think even _you_ would agree she's suffered enough. So, I would be doing a kindness by putting her out of her misery, wouldn't I?" Laughing cruelly, Kingpin reached out and yanked Sergeant Kurtz's gun from its holster.

Sergeant Kurtz gritted his teeth against the pain, pressing his hand against the bleeding wound in his chest. He didn't need a doctor's opinion to know that this knife wound was going to be possibly fatal. His breath coming out in quick, labored gasps, he forced his eyes to open, watching as Kingpin turned his attention back to the unresponsive Emily, a cruel smile on the gang leader's face. Very slowly, Kingpin lifted the gun in his hand, aiming it at Emily's forehead.

In the few seconds that followed, Sergeant Kurtz could no longer see Kingpin in front of him. Instead, he saw a series of faces flashing before his eyes. Most were the faces of various people whom had been the unfortunate victims of Kingpin and his followers; young women whom he'd never even known before filing out police reports and visiting crime scenes, but still regretted not being able to save. However, he also saw four faces he felt deeply connected to. First was the face of Katrina Hollingsworth, the young librarian who he had personally found locked inside a basement, rendered mute for her last three months of her life before passing away immediately after giving birth to Penny. Next were the faces of a couple he saw all the time in framed photographs, Zeke and Natalie Goodhall, two very fine people and loving parents who had been cruelly murdered before the very eyes of their young children, all because of Kingpin's desire to produce a lethal drug. Finally, there was the face of Zack Goodhall, his best friend and partner who he'd made a solemn promise to, right before his death, in a hospital bed years ago. A promise to look after his sister. A promise to make sure she stayed safe, no matter what.

And that was a promise he was fully prepared to keep. He was going to keep it for Zack. For Zeke and Natalie Goodhall. For Katrina Hollingsworth, and all the other victims of Kingpin's gang. And for all the innocent people in the city, who might one day become another victim to this man.

"Beverly," Sergeant Kurtz whispered softly to himself. "I'm sorry, Bev."

Before Kingpin could pull the trigger on the gun, Sergeant Kurtz had lunged forward, grabbing him in an unbreakable hold while redirecting the gun barrel away from Emily's direction. Paying little attention to Kingpin's struggling, Sergeant Kurtz used all of his remaining strength to aim the gun at a spot above their heads before forcing Kingpin's finger to squeeze against the gun's trigger. The released bullet shot into the air, cutting clean through a support wire that kept an overhead light fixture in place. Without the wire supporting it, the light toppled to the ground, landing atop the nearby storage rack. In a domino effect, the falling light forced some of the heavy boxes that had been stored there to fall off the storage rack, toppling right towards Sergeant Kurtz and Kingpin.

* * *

Officer Blackwood moved cautiously throughout the now-deserted hideout, his gun at the ready. All the captured gang members had been secured in the squad cars outside and were already on their way down to the station. However, a handful of the police squadron had stayed behind to ensure that no gang member had escaped, and Officer Blackwood had chosen to remain with that group out of concern for Emily, who still hadn't been located, and Sergeant Kurtz, who he hadn't heard from in over fifteen minutes. To Officer Blackwood's growing apprehension, he still hadn't found a single sign of the missing pair after, even though he and the others had been scouring the entire warehouse from top to bottom.

Finally, as he reached the furthermost corner of the building, he finally noticed something out of place at the very end of a row of storage racks. One of the supports for the overhanging light fixtures had apparently snapped in two, and the light had fallen atop the storage rack and the heavy looking boxes that had been placed there. Under the impact of the fallen light fixture, some of the boxes had clearly fallen off the storage racks. The moment he saw this, Officer Blackwood was nearly floored by an intense feeling of sudden foreboding. Hurrying forward, he rounded the corner to assess the full extent of the damage caused by the fallen boxes.

The first thing he saw was a lone figure hunched over, unmoving on the floor, with only an NYPD-issued police jacket covering her bare body. With a sickened jolt, Officer Blackwood recognized the figure as Emily.

"Mrs. Cohen!" Officer Blackwood spoke with relief, moving to her side as quickly as he could while still remaining alert. The officer was unable to hold back an angry growl when Emily didn't even blink in acknowledgement to his presence, and simply continued to stare blackly at nothing in particular. Like the rest of the police squadron who were there, he had been fully informed of what the Rat Fangs had put her through these past few days.

"Come on, Mrs. Cohen," Officer Blackwood spoke gently, carefully pulling Emily to her feet. "We're going to get you back home to your.…" Officer Blackwood's voice trailed off the moment he fully took in the scene in front of him. There, a few feet away, was the pile of boxes that had fallen from the top of the storage racks. At the very bottom of the pile were two men, neither of which were moving.

It took Officer Blackwood a full minute before the ice in his veins thawed enough for him to react, but the instant the feeling in his body returned, his hand went for his walkie talkie.

"Officer down! Officer down!" he bellowed, hurrying toward the still form of Sergeant Kurtz. "Get an ambulance on the scene, STAT!"


	12. Scars of Battle

**AN: **This will be a heartbreaking chapter, so be sure to have tissues handy. Please read and review

* * *

Mark was the first one to push his way through the doors to the hospital, almost breezing right by the receptionist's desk without a single word. However, a passing orderly intercepted him before he could go much further.

"Get out of the way!" Mark cried, trying to push his way past the orderly. "I have to see her."

"Sir, you need to calm down!" the receptionist insisted, leaning over her desk. "If you're here to see someone, you're required to check in here."

"I don't have time for this…" Mark started to argue, but his voice died in his throat almost instantly. In desperation, he turned beseechingly to the people standing behind him. Mrs. Kurtz's face was extremely pale in worry, and the children, Rodolfo, Zack and Lucia, were also visibly frightened over what they were about to see. As for Penny, she looked very close to tears, and it was probably only the feel of James' arm around her waist, and the fact that she was cradling a sleeping Sammy, that kept her from dissolving into uncontrollable sobs. It was James who spoke up for Mark's benefit.

"Please, Ma'am," he began. "Could you please just tell us what rooms Mrs. Cohen and Sergeant Kurtz are in? We were told that they were taken here." The receptionist's face instantly shifted in sympathy.

"Oh, I see," she nodded, glancing back at Mark. "You're the family of the abducted woman who the police recovered a few hours ago." For a few moments, the receptionist typed away on her computer, looking for the information the Bohemians wanted.

"Here we are," the receptionist finally announced. "I'm afraid Sergeant Kurtz hasn't been released from the emergency room yet. But Mrs. Cohen….is down in ICU. Her records say she's stable enough to receive visitors, but immediate family only."

"Do you…," Mrs. Kurtz stepped forward hesitantly, worry for her husband visible on her face. "Do you know how Kevin is? Can you get someone to come up and tell me?"

"I'll do what I can," the receptionist promised before her attention was momentarily caught by James beginning to go with the Cohen family to visit Emily. "Um, sir, I said immediate family only." The receptionist flashed him an apologetic smile before glancing downward to his hand, which was entwined with Penny's. It was clear that she'd correctly concluded he was simply Penny's boyfriend and not a brother.

"He's _almost_…" Penny started to argue but James held up a hand, smiling tenderly down at her.

"It's okay, Pen," he assured. "You go on with your father and the rest of your family. Sammy and I'll wait out here."

"But, James," Penny replied, looking back at him in disbelief. "You have every right to come, too."

"I know, but…someone should really stay and keep Mrs. Kurtz company while she waits to hear about Sergeant Kurtz. After everything that's happened, it wouldn't be right to just leave her alone out here." Penny's shoulders slumped, knowing that he had a point. With a dry chuckle, James placed a finger under her chin to bring her head back up, allowing him to look her in the eye. "I promise I'll be right out here if you need me for anything. Now, go see your mother, Penny."

"Thank you, James," Penny whispered, leaning up to kiss him briefly. After passing the sleeping Sammy back over to him, she headed off after Mark, Lucia, Zack and Rodolfo.

* * *

"Mom!" Lucia cried out the instant she entered the room in ICU. In a flash, the young girl had ran over to Emily's bedside, doing her best to hug her mother in joyful relief. Almost immediately afterwards, Zack and Rodolfo had moved to the other side of the bed, sharing the cushioned chair that had been positioned next to the hospital bed. However, Mark and Penny had to hesitate at the curtain, taking in what they were seeing.

Emily was sitting up in bed with her eyes open, and at first glance, she looked perfectly fine, but the longer Mark and Penny looked at her, the more they could see how bad she was. Her olive completion was almost completely washed out, and her face was devoid of any emotion. Worst of all were her eyes. They were simply lifeless and dead. Even when her head inclined towards Lucia as her youngest daughter spoke, there was no recognition in them. It was almost as if Emily couldn't even see anyone in the room with her.

"Mr. Cohen? Mark?" A gentle voice interrupted Mark's thoughts as a sympathetic hand touched his shoulder. Turning, Mark saw it was Dr. Jordan, a long-time acquaintance of the Bohemian family.

"Oh, Dr. Jordan," Mark breathed, looking at the floor for a moment. "Penny, could you…um…" Very briefly, Mark glanced over at Rodolfo, Zack and Lucia.

"It's okay, Dad," Penny nodded. "We'll stay with Mom while you and Dr. Jordan talk."

"Thank you, Penny," Mark nodded in gratitude before stepping into the hall with Dr. Jordan.

"Mark, the children don't have to be…" Dr. Jordan started to speak, but Mark interrupted him.

"Would you want to hear the gory details if it was _your_ mother in that hospital bed?" Mark pointed out testily.

"No," Dr. Jordan admitted, sighing heavily. "I suppose I wouldn't."

"All right, Dr. Jordan," Mark turned to fact the doctor once he was sure they were out of earshot of Penny and the Boho Kids. "Just…give it to me straight. How…how is she?"

"Physically, Emily is doing rather well, considering what she's been through," Dr. Jordan explained. "But…her blood sugar is dangerously high, which you can probably expect since she hasn't had access to her insulin for over three days. We're trying to bring it down to a normal level."

"Was…" Mark nearly choked on his words, forcing himself to ask his next question. "I mean, the video Kingpin sent showed Emily being… Please, Dr. Jordan. Is there…any possibility that she….?"

"We ran all of our usual tests for situations such as this," Dr. Jordan replied. "All of them came back negative, Mark. All of them. But…well, this is partially related to that topic. You see, when Emily was being…" Dr. Jordan trailed off, visibly steeling himself for what he was about to say. "Simply put, Mark, her…reproductive organs were badly damaged, and there's no hope of saving them. Thus, it would be impossible for her to ever conceive again." Mark, not trusting himself to speak just yet, nodded numbly before he remembered exactly how Dr. Jordan's explanation began.

"You said…she was doing well _physically_," he reminded.

"Yes, I did," Dr. Jordan confirmed. "But I don't think I need to explain Emily's non-physical damage, since you've already seen what she's like. It's as if she's nothing but an empty shell right now. Shortly before your arrival, I was trying to see if I could elicit a response from her by mentioning you and the children, but she doesn't show any signs of recognizing the names. She will respond if you feed her, but apart from that, there's absolutely nothing."

"Yeah, I did notice," Mark spoke in a strained voice. "Even just now, with Lucia, Emily just looked right through her."

"Mark," Dr. Jordan once again placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "I am truly sorry, but…I have to be honest with you. Emily's current state is practically identical to another patient we had, back in 1984. And….that other patient…she never recovered. In fact, she had completely given up on life, and it was only the life of her unborn child that kept her hanging on as long as she did."

"Penny's birth mother," Mark whispered, realizing instantly who Dr. Jordan was talking about.

"Exactly," Dr. Jordan answered. "The man difference is, to Kingpin, Penny's birth mother was just another woman. Unlike Emily, he didn't harbor a grudge over her. Taking that into account, Emily probably suffered a great deal more than Penny's birth mother did. So…it's safe to assume her psychological wounds are far more serious than Penny's birth mother's had been."

"Dr. Jordan," Mark once again had to force himself to speak, feeling his voice start to break. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"Mark," Dr. Jordan took a deep breath before continuing. "I think it would be a good idea if…you didn't get your hopes up for even a minor recovery. It is very possible that….Emily will not get any better than she is now." Throat too tight to speak, Mark simply nodded once again before turning back to rejoin his family at Emily's bedside. Stepping past the curtain, he suddenly noticed Rodolfo was looking back at him, a sorrowful expression on his face. The moment Mark met his 'nephew's' eyes, the brown-eyed boy stood up and took a deep breath, preparing himself to speak.

"Hey, Zack, Lucia," he began. "Come on. It's…getting close to breakfast time. We…probably should head down to the cafeteria and get something to eat."

"But we just…." Lucia started to argue, tearing her eyes away from Emily.

"Lucia," Penny stepped in, realizing what Rodolfo was trying to do. "It's okay. Mom will be just fine, and she'll still be here when we get back. Besides, Mom would _want_ you to eat something." For a moment, Lucia and Zack hesitated, but then allowed Rodolfo and Penny to usher them out of the ICU, leaving Mark standing there alone. However, the filmmaker heard Zack's whisper as they left.

"Rodolfo," Zack hissed. "Seriously, how can you even _think_ of your stomach….?"

"Did you even _see_ the look on Uncle Mark's face?" Rodolfo fired back. "He _deserves_ a moment alone with Aunt Emily." Briefly, Mark felt a strong sense of gratitude for Roger and Mimi's son, but that feeling was quickly overshadowed when he turned back to Emily and crossed the room to her side to sit in the cushioned chair Zack and Rodolfo had just abandoned. With a shaky breath, he reached out and took Emily's hand to hold it gently.

"Emily," Mark whispered, staring at her blank face, silently praying for some sign from her. "I…I really hope that, somehow, you're able to hear what I'm saying, even though you can't show it. Because I _know_ that you're still in there somewhere. You need to know that I'm so, so sorry I couldn't stop Kingpin from taking you, even after I promised you I'd never let anything happen to you. And…when I saw what Kingpin was allowing his followers to do to you, I…." Mark's words died in his throat and his face fell into his free hand, barely suppressing a fresh sob at the memory. Tightening his hold on Emily's limp hand, he continued in a strained voice. "Emily. Cricket. If you can hear me, and I truly hope you can, then believe me when I say I'm not giving up on you. So _please_, don't you give up on me. I _know_ we can get through this, Emily. Please, you need to come back. I…I don't know what I'd do if you don't. I love you, Emily. I love you so much, so _please_. Please come back to me. To me and the children. We all need you, Emily, so _please_!" Unable to continue on, Mark broke down sobbing, holding Emily's hand against his cheek.

* * *

In the waiting room, James continued to sit with Mrs. Kurtz, a comforting arm wrapped around her shoulders. For a while, he attempted to divide his attention between being there for Mrs. Kurtz and keeping an eye on Sammy, who was lying on the floor nearby, busy with his coloring book.

"What's taking them so long?" Mrs. Kurtz whispered after a long period of silence had passed.

"Mrs. Kurtz, please," James spoke consolingly. "Remember, sometimes no news is good news. It means that they're still treating him. And while I don't have half of Penny's medical knowledge, I can't see why they would take this long in treating Sergeant Kurtz if he didn't have a good chance. I'm sure everything will be fine." No sooner were these words out of James' mouth that the door leading to the hospital emergency rooms opened and a doctor stepped out.

"Mrs. Kurtz?" he called out, looking around the waiting room. Suddenly gasping in nervousness, Mrs. Kurtz got to her feet and slowly went over to meet with the doctor. James hesitated before following her, taking a quick moment to start scooping Sammy up. As he got to his feet, however, he momentarily froze, watching the doctor speaking with Mrs. Kurtz. While he could not hear what the doctor was telling her, he could still see Mrs. Kurtz's body stiffen with shock, and her face crumple with grief seconds later.

In that very moment, James felt the bottom of his stomach drop in horror, realizing instantly what the news on Sergeant Kurtz had been. Moving as quickly as he could, he hurried over to Mrs. Kurtz's side, just as the woman fell to her knees, her body racked by heartbreaking sobs. His heart going out to the grieving woman, James knelt by her side and pulled her into a tight hug, while tears of his own started to escape from his eyes.


	13. Tough

**AN:** Happy belated New Year 2010, everyone. Hope everyone had fun watching the ball drop. (However, I'm starting to see that old tradition as pretty anti-climatic.) Anyway, here's a rather emotional chapter, written in the classic songfic style. I've been wanting to write this one for a while now, and hope you enjoy it. (The song in question is Craig Morgan's '_Tough_')

* * *

Throughout most of the proceedings, Mark could only stare at the casket that was covered by the American Flag, barely even acknowledging what was being spoken. It was only when he heard the ceremonial shots being fired that he was able to return to the present, looking back up in time to see Mrs. Kurtz accepting the flag once it had been folded, her face filled with a grief beyond the point of tears.

Trying to hold back tears of his own, Mark allowed his eyes to skim over the faces of the crowd around him. Most of the attendants to Sergeant Kurtz's funeral were other employees of the NYPD, all in full uniform, but he also noticed the various members of his own extended family among the crowd. Benny was there with Allison and Alvin, standing next to Zoey Rabe and her grandparents, and a few feet away, Maureen and Joanne were gathered with the entire Kelly family. With a shaky breath, Mark turned to look at the people he was standing next to.

Rodolfo, Zack, and Lucia were all staring unblinkingly at Sergeant Kurtz's coffin, fresh tears forming in their eyes. As for Penny, her face was buried in James' chest, her shoulders shaking with her sobs, while James kept an arm wrapped tightly around her, little Sammy just visible between them. Finally, the filmmaker forced himself to direct his attention to Emily, instantly feeling his pain increase. The dead, haunted look in her eyes was still there, and her face had never shown any emotion during the entire funeral. He had been hoping that bringing her to Sergeant Kurtz's funeral would help her a little bit. After all, Sergeant Kurtz had been her beloved older brother's best friend, and he had also been the one to support her financially after Zack Goodhall had died when Emily was fourteen. It had been no secret that Emily had often regarded Sergeant Kurtz as something between an unofficial uncle and father-figure.

"Mark?" The sound of his name pulled Mark out of his thoughts. The funeral service had ended, and Mrs. Kurtz had come over to see him. "Mark, I can't tell you how grateful I am that you all came today."

"Of course we came," Mark stated mournfully, pulling the widowed woman into a consoling hug. "What else could we have done? He _was_ our friend, too."

"Yes, I know," Mrs. Kurtz nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes. "But…I would have understood if you stayed home." Slowly, Mrs. Kurtz glanced over at Emily's unresponsive face. "You…have your _own_ wounds to tend to."

"Emily will be fine," Mark declared with conviction, turning to gaze at his wife in unyielding faith. "She'll wake up before we know it. I know she will. Because she's always been strong."

"Yes," Mrs. Kurtz nodded in agreement. "She has." Casting one more grateful smile at the Cohen family, Mrs. Kurtz started to walk away, only to be stopped by Penny

"Mrs. Kurtz, wait!" Penny spoke up. "You shouldn't be alone today. Come back to the Condo with us. I was going to make lunch for everyone, to celebrate Sergeant Kurtz's life. You really should join us, too."

Mark had to force a smile at Penny's offer of preparing lunch for everyone, but on the inside, he could only think about how the task of cooking celebratory meals usually was taken up by Emily. In spite of his earlier insistence that she would pull through, a part of him was left wondering how long it would be before the family could taste Emily's cooking again.

_She's in the kitchen at the crack of dawn  
Bacon's on, coffee's strong  
Kids running wild, taking off their clothes  
If she's a nervous wreck, well it never shows  
Takes one to football and one to dance  
Hits the Y for aerobics class  
Drops by the bank, stops at the store  
Has on a smile when I walk through the door  
The last to go to bed, she'll be the first one up  
And I thought I was tough_

Doctor Jordan stepped out of the doctor's office, momentarily glancing back at Emily, who was staring straight ahead without seeing anything. It had been two months, and she was still showing no improvement. Nothing seemed to be working, and he had tried everything, from therapy to medication.

"Dr. Jordan?" The doctor sighed upon hearing Mark's voice, and he turned to face the filmmaker, who had been waiting outside the door. "Have….have you seen…?"

"No, Mark," Dr. Jordan shook his head. "There's still no improvement. Like I told you the day we found her, she might never get any better."

"I refuse to believe that," Mark whispered. "She…she's Emily. She _can_ beat this."

"Mr. Cohen," Dr. Jordan went on, quickly slipping into his formal, professional role. "We have tried everything we could, and she still…"

"You've done everything _you_ could, Dr. Jordan," Mark interrupted. "I was thinking there might be something _I_ could do."

"And what might that be?"

"Before this whole thing began," Mark explained, "Rodolfo and Zack's friend, Kris, invited the children to come with her when she visited her grandparents in Michigan this summer. They…would be leaving in about two weeks. And I was thinking, with the children gone, and Penny spending most of her free time helping Mrs. Kurtz adjust...maybe what Emily _really_ needs is a change of scenery. I was thinking…it might be a good idea if I take Emily out of the city for a while. It probably sounds like running, but I…." Mark trailed off with a heavy sigh, but then seemed to find the strength to go on.

"A long time ago, Roger was…facing some issues of his own. Yeah, that was a completely different situation than this one, but he spent over a month in Santa Fe before returning to the city. When he did come back, I barely even recognized him. There was something about him that made him a whole new Roger.

"When Roger became addicted to heroin, he was no longer the Roger I'd grown up. Even after he quit, while he was a little bit better, he was still…empty, like he was only half there. But once he came back from Santa Fe, he was even _better_ than he was _before_ the heroin. So…maybe…Santa Fe might help Emily, too."

"So, you're planning on taking her up there?" Dr. Jordan concluded.

"Do…do you think that's a good idea?"

"It's difficult to say. A lot of medical teaching focuses only on what medicine can do, so that would state your idea would be pointless. But…on the other hand…I have seen many patients recover against impossible odds, because of a visitor coming to see them, or someone delivering balloons and flowers. I even seem to remember one story about your friend, Mimi, who managed to recover from near-death, despite spending almost two months on the freezing streets without her AZT or adequate nutrition, and all because of a simple song that was written for her. So…maybe…a change in scenery might just be able to help. But...once again, Mark, do not get your hopes up."

_She's strong, pushes on, can't slow her down  
She can take anything life dishes out  
There was a time  
Back before she was mine  
When I thought I was tough_

Mark let out a resigned sigh as James pulled his taxi up by the curb in front of the Kelly Koffeehouse, where a Dodge Ram was waiting. A part of him was extremely grateful that James had been on duty today; not many taxi drivers would willingly take them all the way out to the Kelly Koffeehouse to drop of the children, only to turn around and drive back the way they came to bring him and Emily to the bus station downtown. Wordlessly, the filmmaker stepped out to help Zack, Rodolfo and Lucia get their bags out of the trunk. The three children were immediately greeted by Kris, who gave each of her friends giant hugs.

"I'm so glad you're coming," Kris whispered, giving Rodolfo the biggest hug of all.

"Thanks, Kris," Rodolfo mumbled, pulling away while glancing back at the cab, where he could only just make out Emily sitting in the backseat, unmoving.

"She'll be all right, 'Brown Eyes'," Kris whispered, noticing the direction of his sorrowful stare. "I'm sure of it."

"Yeah," Zack nodded, visibly unsure. "Maybe."

"Come on," Kris forced a smile. "My brothers have wanted to meet you three for a long time." Taking Lucia's bag for her, she led the three Boho Kids to the back of the Dodge Ram, where two grown boys were sitting in the truck's bed.

For a short moment, Mark stood unmoving as he watched Kris' brothers help store Rodolfo, Zack and Lucia's bags into the truck bed before helping the four friends up with them. He finally turned his eyes away when he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked over at Kris' father, David.

"Kris is right, Mark," David spoke kindly. "Emily _will_ be all right."

"I know she will…." Mark started to say, but a sudden lump in his throat halted his words. "David, I… I tell myself that every day. I _can't_ say anything different, because…."

"Because you want it to be true," David finished. "You want it to be true with every fiber of your being, so you tell yourself that every day. But no matter how many times you tell yourself that she'll be all right, you can't get rid of that small doubt in the back of your mind. The doubt that you're going to loose her. And then you start hating yourself for even entertaining that terrible thought."

"How…how can you…?" Mark stared at David in shock.

"Because I've been there, too," David replied. "When my wife, Eleanor, was diagnosed with breast cancer years ago. Every day since then, Eleanor told me to not dwell on it; told me to treasure the time we had together. She always said that if I did that, then we really _would_ have all the time in the world, and I'll never have to loose her. But…I didn't truly listen to her. Every time she went to the hospital for an appointment, I let myself wonder how much longer it would be before I lost her. Now…I wish…I hadn't let myself dwell on it. I wish I'd had Eleanor's faith and courage. But I didn't have enough of her faith to believe in a miracle.

"That's the difference between you and me, too, I suppose. From what I've heard, you've seen plenty of miracles before. You've even seen a friend come back from the dead, haven't you? So please, Mark. For Emily's sake, for the sake of Eleanor's memory, do not give up."

"Thanks, David," Mark nodded stiffly, giving him one grateful smile before stepping forward to say goodbye to the Boho Kids.

_We sat there five years ago  
The doctors let us know, the test showed  
She'd have to fight to live, I broke down and cried  
She held me and said it's gonna be alright  
She wore that wig to church  
Pink ribbon pinned there on her shirt  
No room for fear, full of faith  
Hands held high singing Amazing Grace  
Never once complained, refusing to give up  
And I thought I was tough_

"Come on, Emily," Mark spoke tenderly, gently leading her into their room at Econo Lodge. "This'll be our home for a while. What do you think?" Emily didn't reply, and simply blinked as Mark carefully sat her down at the foot of the bed. Trying once again to keep up some normalcy, Mark continued. "I was thinking we'd take some time to get settled in, and then I'll see if we can get some food brought up to the room. I…didn't think you'd want to go out to out to a crowded restaurant. You probably want to avoid large crowds for a while. And besides, that's what this whole vacation is about. Just you and me, with no distractions, to give you the chance to heal at your own pace."

Feeling a fresh wave of pain when Emily still showed no sign of hearing him, Mark turned away, momentarily distracting himself with bringing their suitcases further into the room, but once he was done, he took a seat next to Emily, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Emily, I'm here," he promised, whispering into her ear. "No matter what, I'm always going to be here. We'll get through this. You and me, we'll get through this, together." Tightening his arms around her, Mark placed a kiss against her temple, not bothering to think about how she never responded. "Emily, I love you," Mark vowed, burying his face into her frizzy hair. "We'll get through this, and I'm never giving up, because I love you. So please, don't you give up."

_She's strong, pushes on, can't slow her down  
She can take anything life dishes out  
There was a time  
Back before she was mine  
When I thought I was tough_

"I…I don't know, Zack," Mark spoke into the phone, squeezing his eyes shut. "I would love to say your mother and I will make it to the state fair to meet up with you, Rodolfo and Lucia. But…" Mark paused for a moment, looking at the figure lying in the bed next to him, "just…don't get your hopes up, okay? I'm sorry. You have fun with Kris tomorrow, all right? And Zack? I…_we_ love you. And pass on our love to your sister and 'cousin,' too, okay? Goodnight, Zack." Once Mark had hung up the phone, he rolled over to cradle Emily tightly.

"That was Zack, Emily," Mark announced. "He said that the Kellys were going to head up to the state fair next month. He wanted to know if we'd be able to meet up with them there. That…sounds like fun, doesn't it? And I know the children miss you terribly. So…what do you think?" Very slowly, Emily turned her face towards his, but her expression remained blank. "I know," Mark whispered, smiling tenderly. "You…need more time. I understand." Leaning over, he placed a loving kiss on her forehead before lying back into bed, continuing to hold her in his arms as they fell asleep.

It had been weeks since they had arrived in Santa Fe. Every now and then, Mark was sure he was seeing some subtle improvements in Emily's condition. When they first arrived, she had to be led everywhere, nearly unable to move on her own. But now, she would occasionally get up from the chair to walk to the bathroom, or step over to the window just to look outside. However, she still needed assistance when it came to washing, dressing, and eating. When he was being honest with himself, Mark had to admit he didn't mind that at all. After all, it was his first priority to take care of her, and he enjoyed doing so. Even so, he still wished Emily could show even the smallest improvement in other areas. Despite the fact that so much time had passed, she still hadn't uttered a single word, and the only expression she could manage was a vacant stare.

Once again, the words David had spoken to him before they had left echoed through Mark's mind, telling him to not give up. But as more time passed, Mark was finding it harder to believe those words. Every day, he found himself missing the Emily he knew more and more, and today was no exception. Refusing to let himself cry, Mark simply closed his eyes and imagined Emily as she was before Kingpin escaped from prison. The sound of her laugh, her smile, how she'd get that frustrated frown on her face every time she tried to place her frizzy hair into a hairstyle other than a ponytail, the look she'd have in her eyes when she was trying out a new dinner recipe, and most of all, the way it felt when she reached out to hold his hand, for no other reason than just to have him nearby. Before sleep claimed him that night, Mark found himself speaking a silent prayer that he'd be able to get that Emily back again.

_She's a gentle word, the sweetest kiss  
A velvet touch against my skin  
I've seen her cry, I've seen her break  
But in my eyes, she'll always be strong_

_There was a time  
Back before she was mine  
When I thought I was tough_


	14. Summer with the Kellys

**AN:** Yes, I'm still alive. Life's a pain in the tailbone sometimes. Anyway, I know this chapter goes very fast, but I'm sadly out of practice in writing about the Boho Kids and couldn't think of anything to add. A little food for thought before the chapter begins: the names of the Kelly family's dogs were based on the names of the two dogs from the novel Where the Red Fern Grows. If you haven't read it yet, I recommend it. Just be sure to have tissues on hand because there are some tearful moments in the book.

Also, the poll on my profile has ended, so the results are up. I felt it appropriate to end the poll now, because this story only has 5-6 chapters left, and once this is done, I'm going to focus on Love Cannot be Bound. (Hopefully, that story will have a larger response than this one. Oh well.)

Anyway, on with the chapter. Enjoy.

* * *

The Kelly family's Dodge Ram drove along a deserted tree-canopied road, just outside of Eagle Harbor, MI. before turning onto an unmarked dirt road that led further into the woods. In the back of the truck, Kris' brothers, Adam and Andy, were absorbed in playing a bluegrass tune on their harmonicas, so the Boho Kids were left to take in the scenery.

"This is a beautiful place, Kris," Zoey commented from her spot next to Zack, watching some warblers flying nearby. "You're so lucky you get to spend holidays up here."

"Yeah, it's _very_ different from the city," Alvin agreed. "It's almost like we're back at camp again."

"One of the main differences between here and camp, Alvin, are the wild animals you can run into around here," Kris smiled placidly.

"Why? You don't get deer and rabbits and stuff out here?" Lucia looked up in curiosity.

"Oh, sure, we got plenty of them around here," Kris shrugged. "But we've also got bears, wolves and bobcats running around."

"You've got _bears_?" Zack's eyes widened.

"Hey, bears are easy," Andy spoke up, lowering his harmonica. "The trick is to not make any sudden movements or loud noises, and if they _do_ attack, just play dead."

"Andy, don't scare them," Adam stepped in. "They're city kids, remember? The only bears they've seen in person were behind bars at the Bronx Zoo."

A short time later, a two story cabin built from wood and stone came into view.

"There it is," Kris turned to her friends, her voice filled with pride. "Gram and Gramps' place."

"Hmmm," David smiled in excitement as he stepped out of the Dodge Ram's cab. "Smells like Mother's cooking her famous chowder."

"I can taste it already," Justin agreed, moving to the back of the truck to help Adam and Andy unload the bags while the Boho Kids hopped out. At that moment, the sound of dogs barking filled the air, and a pair of beagle-bloodhound mixes raced into view, heading right for Kris.

"Hey, Ann, Dan," Kris laughed, hugging the pair of dogs as they licked her face in greeting.

"Is that my little Kristalyn?" an elderly man exclaimed as he appeared, following after the two dogs.

"Gramps!" Kris waved happily, maneuvering around the dogs to embrace her grandfather. "It's good to see you!"

"Likewise, Kris," Grandpa Kelly smiled, returning the hug before moving on to his sons and grandsons.

"Gramps, I'd like you to meet my friends," Kris introduced the Boho Kids.

"It's nice to meet all of you," Grandpa Kelly smiled at everyone kindly. "Kris has told us all about you.

"Well, then. What is everybody waiting for? Everyone inside and make yourselves at home. It smells like dinner's almost ready, and Opal has been looking forward to you arriving all day."

* * *

As the weeks went by, the Boho Kids became deeply immersed into life at the Kelly's cabin, filling their days with endless activities that prevented everyone from ever having a dull moment. The only time they ever slowed down was when they went to sleep at night. Every day, Kris led her friends on small escapades, such as exploring the town of Eagle Harbor, making sandcastles and finding treasures along the local beach, hiking through the woods surrounding the cabin, and even going swimming in the nearby river. Whenever Kris seemed to run out of activities for them to do, Rodolfo would surprise everyone by suggesting they help Kris' grandparents around the house. As a result, they would all go out once again to gather nuts and berries from the woods or assist Kris' grandfather, father and older brothers in catching trout in the river before helping Kris' grandmother and uncle prepare dinner. At one point of the summer, Kris' grandmother even taught the Boho Kids how to make their own jam.

Before anyone knew it, the summer months were starting to wind down, and during one particular dinner of Grandma Kelly's salmon cakes, Justin brought up the topic of an upcoming trip to the state fair, a Kelly family tradition.

"I've never been to a fair before," Zoey admitted out loud. "What's it like?"

"They've got everything," Adam smiled kindly. "You get to see all kinds of animals, from rabbits and chickens to llamas and sheep. Exhibits on horticulture, arts and crafts…."

"Mainly, we go because Gram enters some of her pies in the contests," Kris explained. "But there's also an actual butter sculpture, an aquarium, ethnic restaurants, and all kinds of rides, including a Ferris wheel. Of course, you'll have to come with us this year. You can't have a summer vacation with the Kellys without coming to the State  
Fair with us."

"Hey, I'm game," Alvin agreed eagerly, with the other Boho Kids also voicing their interest.

"I remember the time Mom and Dad took us to the…" Lucia started to say something, but trailed off, the expressions on Zack and her faces falling instantly. The last time they'd spoken to their father, there still hadn't been much improvement in Emily's current state.

"That's a _great_ idea, Lucia," Rodolfo spoke up, sounding inexplicably cheerful. "Zack, you should call Uncle Mark at the hotel tonight and ask him if he and Aunt Emily want to meet us there."

"Um, Rodolfo," Zack bowed his head, deeply saddened, as Zoey reached out to squeeze his hand in tender sympathy. "I…I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?" Rodolfo challenged. "You want Uncle Mark and Aunt Emily to meet us there, don't you?"

"Of course, I do," Zack replied. "But…we also have to admit it's been weeks and weeks, and…Mom's still the same. I…I can't see how…."

"Come on, Zack," Rodolfo gave his 'cousin' a gigantic, confident smile. "Aunt Emily'll come around." For a moment, Zack looked like he wanted to argue, but then thought better of it, going back to eating his salmon cakes in silence.

* * *

After dinner had ended, Zack, after asking his friends to try and keep Lucia occupied, slipped away with Rodolfo to call Mark at the Econo Lodge.

"Hey, Dad," Zack greeted once Mark had answered the phone.

"Zack?" Mark's voice answered in surprise. "Is something wrong? Is Lucia all right?"

"No, Dad. Everything's fine," Zack assured. "We're having a really good time over here. I just wanted to see how _you_ were, that's all. How are things in New Mexico?"

"Oh. Yeah, Zack. Things are…it's….not bad." Zack couldn't fight the flinch upon hearing his father's tone and translating its meaning. It was obvious from the sound of Mark's voice that while Emily wasn't getting worse, she wasn't any better, either.

"Zack," Rodolfo urged in a low whisper. "Go on. Ask him." Zack gave Rodolfo a pointed look before sighing heavily.

"Um…Dad?" Zack forced himself to ask Rodolfo's question. "Tonight, during dinner, we found out that the Kellys go to the state fair every year, and…"

"That sounds great, Zack!" Mark suddenly sounded cheerful. "Be sure to have a good time."

"Yeah, thanks, Dad," Zack nodded. "But….actually…Rodolfo said that…well…he…_we_…were hoping that….you and Mom could…meet us there?"

"Oh," Mark replied. Even though they were only speaking over the phone, Zack could still almost see the smile fade from Mark's face. "I…I don't know, Zack. I would love to say your mother and I will make it to the state fair to meet up with you, Rodolfo and Lucia. But…don't get your hopes up, okay? I'm sorry"

"Yeah, it's all right, Dad," Zack nodded. "I thought it would be like that. Don't worry about it. I understand. Just concentrate on taking care of Mom."

"You have fun with Kris tomorrow, all right?" Mark requested.

"Yeah, we will, Dad."

"And Zack? I…_we_ love you."

"I love you, too, Dad," Zack spoke sadly into the phone.

"And pass on our love to your sister and 'cousin,' too, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll do that, too. Bye, Dad."

"Goodnight, Zack." Once the call had ended, Zack hung up the phone, but kept his back to Rodolfo, refusing to turn around.

"It…It'll be all right, Zack," Rodolfo tried to assure his friend. "Aunt Emily will get through this. We just can't give up."

"Stop it, Rodolfo," Zack hissed.

"Zack, I…"

"I said, STOP!" Zack cried, turning on Rodolfo in fury. "Why'd you even suggest that I invite Mom and Dad to meet us at the state fair? And in front of _Lucia_! Don't you even _care_ about how devastated she is about Mom? And for you to go and get her hopes up that Mom'll get better in time to meet us at the fair?! What is _wrong_ with you, you _idiot_!"

"Zack," Rodolfo whispered, hurt evident on his face. "I…I was just trying to help."

"You wanna help, Rodolfo? Then _don't_ try and help us! Because thanks to you, I have to go and tell Lucia that Mom and Dad aren't going to be able to come to the fair, and crush my little sister's heart even more than it already is! So, just do me a favor, Rodolfo, and try thinking about how Lucia and I feel about all of this for a change!" Without another word, Zack stormed out of the room, leaving Rodolfo standing alone, the hurt expression never leaving his face.

After a few moments, Rodolfo felt someone gently touch his arm. Looking around, he found that Kris had entered the room without him even realizing it.

"I…I couldn't help but overhear you and Zack," Kris explained sadly. "Are you okay, Brown Eyes?"

"I…I just wanted to…." Rodolfo looked away, not wanting her to see the tears he felt starting to sting his eyes.

"I know," Kris nodded, squeezing his shoulder in understanding. "You were trying to keep Zack and Lucia's spirits up by encouraging normalcy. Don't let what Zack said get to you. That was just all his fear and frustration talking. I'm sure that he'll apologize for it in the morning."

"I don't deserve his apology," Rodolfo shook his head. "I'm letting him and Lucia down, Kris."

"What makes you think _that_?" Kris asked in surprise.

"Because I've always been the oldest," Rodolfo whispered. "I…I didn't ever think much about it until last December, when we all got lost in Los Angeles. Even now, I know we only got in that mess because of my suggestion to explore the city."

"Rodolfo, we _all_ wanted to explore the city," Kris reasoned.

"That's not the point. I was the oldest one there, so I was _responsible_ for your safety. And now, it should me my _job_, as the _oldest_, to take care of Zack and Lucia. And as you've just herd, I've been doing a terrible job of it. I should be protecting Zack and Lucia from getting hurt over Aunt Emily's current condition. I know it's tearing them up, because…it's tearing _me_ up, too. Aunt Emily's not my real mother, but…she's the only mother I've ever known. Just seeing what Kingpin's reduced her to…. It makes me feel sick to my stomach. And I know it's probably worse for Zack and Lucia, because she _is_ their real mother. And I can't stand the thought of Zack and Lucia feeling the way I do. So all I want to do is to keep them from that pain, and I…" Rodolfo could not continue because the lump in his throat had grown too big, but he had said enough for Kris. Tears starting to form in her own eyes, she pulled Rodolfo into a tight hug.

"Rodolfo," she whispered. "It's not your job to take everyone else's grief upon yourself. No person in the world today can do that. That's why people have friends. Friends aren't only there to share your happiness. They also need to share your pain and sorrow, too.

"Kris…"

"No, Rodolfo," Kris gifted him with her placid smile. "I understand how you hate seeing Zack and Lucia suffer from this. But I also hate knowing that you've been keeping your suffering to yourself. I know that's why you've been keeping us all busy. It's partially to keep Zack and Lucia's minds off their mother, but it's also because you're trying to keep people from noticing that you're trying to hold all of _your_ pain inside. Well, sorry to disappoint you, Brown Eyes, but even _if_ you can fool the others with your gigantic, overly-enthusiastic fake smiles, you can't fool _me_." When Rodolfo didn't answer her right away, Kris pulled him into her biggest hug yet.

"Please, Brown Eyes," she whispered. "If you don't want the others to see you break, then that's fine. Just…don't shut _me_ out, too. You've always had the biggest heart of everyone else I know. I've known that from the moment we first met at camp. So, please. Don't keep it all to yourself. I don't want to see your heart get crushed by taking on too much."

As if Kris' words were the flipping of a switch, Rodolfo's legs buckled the instant she was done speaking. Within seconds, Rodolfo was on his knees, burying his face into Kris shoulder to muffle his sobs while allowing her to cradle his body in her arms.

"I'm here for you, Rodolfo," Kris promised softly, stroking his hair in comfort.

"I know," Rodolfo managed to choke out between sobs, feeling immensely grateful that Kris was his friend. Most people would resort to useless comforting words such as 'it's okay' or it'll be all right.' Kris, on the other hand, never resorted to empty promises to comfort someone, and that had always been something Rodolfo was thankful for.


	15. Eternal Friendship

**AN:** Hi! I'm back! In case you hadn't seen the notice I left on my profile, my computer crashed unexpectedly last month, and I lost most of my story files. Even now, I still haven't gotten them all back completely, but I managed to get this story back on track enough for me to start posting new chapters. So, I'm hoping this makes up for the long wait.  


* * *

Mark pulled back the heavy curtains, allowing the rising Santa Fe sun to shine into the hotel room. It looked like it was going to be a beautiful day outside, but he couldn't bring himself to smile as he turned back to Emily, who was sitting in the nearby armchair, staring straight ahead without really seeing anything. Holding back his devastated sigh, Mark crouched down at her side, taking her hand in his to gently kiss her knuckles.

"Emily, I'm going to step out for a minute or two, okay? I won't be long. I'm just going up the street to get the morning paper and pick something up for our breakfast. I'll be back in a few minutes, all right?" Once again, Mark placed a tender kiss on the back of Emily's hand, not letting himself be hurt by her lack of response. "I love you, Cricket." With one final kiss to her forehead, Mark stepped out of the hotel room.

A few moments after Mark had left, Emily turned her emotionless eyes to the door, blinking slowly. Her face remaining blank and lifeless, she reached for her cane that had been propped up against the arm of the chair. After a brief pause, she got to her feet and crossed the room to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

* * *

Almost ten minutes later, Mark returned to the room, carrying a McDonald's fast-food bag in his hand. The first thing he noticed was that Emily was nowhere in sight, and he immediately felt a strong sense of foreboding.

"Emily?" Mark called out. "Emily are you…?" Mark trailed off when he heard the sound of running water coming from behind the bathroom door. Instantly, he smiled in relief, realizing that she was just taking a shower. After placing the McDonald's bag on the bedside table, he walked over to step into the bathroom, just to make sure she was doing alright.

The sight that greeted him turned his blood to ice in his veins. Emily was lying on the bathroom floor, her body twisted at an odd angle and her head positioned just inches away from the side of the bathtub. A small but steady stream of blood was flowing down her face from a fresh wound along her temple.

"NO!" Mark cried, dropping to her side in a flash. "Emily! Come on, Emily, open your eyes! Please, Emily! Please!" Forcing himself to push his panic aside, Mark grabbed one of the towels from the bathroom rack, pressing it to the cut on Emily's temple to try and stop the bleeding. Even though the rational side of his mind was telling him to get to the phone and call for an ambulance, his fear refused to let him leave Emily's side, preventing him from getting up off the bathroom floor.

"HELP!" Mark shouted out, praying that someone would hear him and come see what was wrong. "SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

* * *

Emily let out a soft sigh upon feeling warm sunlight shining down on her face. Opening her eyes, she found herself on the most beautiful beach she'd ever seen, with smooth white sand and sapphire blue water stretching out as far as the eye could see. A warm, fragrant tropical breeze drifted by, completing the moment.

A contented smile stretched across Emily's face as she stood up, fully enjoying the feel of the warm sand under her bare feet and the gentle wind blowing through her hair. She knew that she would never find a place more peaceful than this beach, and that no one ever would, either. She would be perfectly happy to stay here forever.

After a few moments, Emily was seized by the sudden desire to explore the endless blue water that gently lapped at her feet every time the sea broke the shore. The desire to do so was so strong, she didn't even bother removing her clothes before wading out into the sea, stopping only when she was out to her waist. The water was the perfect temperature, cool enough to soothe her sun-drenched skin but warm enough to encourage her to never go back to shore.

The more she thought about it, the better it sounded. It would be perfectly wonderful to simply lay back and allow the current to carry her out, and spend the rest of her life just drifting along in this magnificently azure water. Laughing to herself, Emily started to lift out her arms, getting ready to do just that.

"No, Emily!" The sudden voice crying out momentarily froze Emily in place, but it wasn't the unexpectedness of hearing someone's voice that made her stop, nor was it the urgency of the tone. It was nothing but the familiarity of the voice that made Emily stop and slowly look back to shore. It took her a few seconds to believe she was actually seeing him, standing at the exact spot that the land met the ocean, even though he still looked exactly as she remembered him, right down to the warm green eyes and unruly dirty blonde hair. Finally, Emily managed to gather the strength to speak again.

"Roger?" she blinked in amazement.

"Emily, come on," Roger spoke again, this time holding out a hand to her. "Come back to the shore. Don't go out any further. It's not safe out there."

"What are you talking about?" Emily shook her head with a tiny laugh. "Just _look_ at this place, Roger. It's absolutely perfect. How could it be dangerous?"

"Please, trust me, Emily," Roger continued, the urgency in his voice growing. "You have to come back to shore, now. Otherwise, you might not come back again. That isn't an ocean you're standing in. It's death." Immediately, Emily's voice caught in her throat, and she looked down at the harmless looking water.

"This…is death?" she whispered.

"Yes, it is," Roger confirmed. "And if you go out any further, it will take you."

A silence fell over the beach as Emily continued to stare out to the horizon, visibly stunned by Roger's statement, but then the satisfied smile returned to her face.

"I…I never thought that death would be like this," Emily admitted. "It's…just so peaceful, and I…"

"Stop it, Emmy!" Roger cried out, sounding angry this time. "You're not allowed to give up like that. You cannot give in so easily."

"Why not?" Emily demanded, turning back to glare at Roger. "What if I don't want to go back? What if I want to stay here? Why should I go back now, after seeing and experiencing all of this?"

"Because there are still things you haven't done yet, Cricket," a new voice reasoned gently. This second voice, which was just as familiar, came from right next to Emily. Feeling the sting of joyful tears in her eyes, Emily looked over into the face of her older brother.

"Zack," Emily whispered, emotion nearly overtaking her.

"Come on, Little Sister," Zack spoke kindly, the love for his sibling shining in his eyes. "Why don't we just talk back on solid ground for a bit? Does that sound okay?" Words failing her, Emily simply nodded and allowed Zack to lead her back to shore. By the time they stepped back onto the sandy beach, Emily felt the lump in her throat growing upon seeing that they hadn't been the only ones joining Roger on the coastline.

"Mimi, Collins, Angel," Emily whispered, recognizing each of the new faces.

"It's good to see you, Emily," Mimi greeted, stepping forward to hug her friend in greeting, a gesture that Emily returned.

"I miss you guys so much," Emily stated after she and Mimi had stepped apart. "We all do."

"We know you do, Emily girl," Collins smiled warmly, his arm draped over Angel's shoulder. "But we'll all be together again one day. It's just that…today is not that day."

"It's not your time to join us yet," Angel agreed. "That's why you need to go back."

"But…" Emily's face slowly began to contort with internal pain and anguish. "But _why_? I…I don't want to go back. I don't want to…I don't want to have to think about it anymore. Kingpin…he…they….it never _stopped_. I tried to fight back, but they…."

"Emily," Zack pulled her into a strong, protective hug as tears started flowing down her cheeks, "We understand. We truly do. You should _never_ have had to go through that. No one should. But you have to understand that you're safe now. Kingpin is gone for good, and he'll never be able to hurt you or anyone else ever again."

"Yes, I…I know that," Emily choked back her sobs. "But…I'll still remember everything. I don't want to remember it. I want to stay here, or continue on, or whatever it is you're supposed to do, because I want to forget it all."

"And what about the others?" Mimi asked. "Think about Mark and the children, Zack, Rodolfo and Lucia. Think about Penny, and Maureen and Joanne. They still need you. You need to go back for them."

"And you don't think we still needed you guys?" Emily challenged. "Do you have any idea how much your leaving hurt all of us? How it _still_ hurts, even after all these years? We still needed you, but you didn't come back."

"That…was different, Emily," Collins reasoned. "With us, we weren't _able_ to come back. The virus had weakened our bodies so much; if we stayed with you guys the way we wanted to, we would have spent every day in pain. We had to leave for that reason. We simply _couldn't_ stay any longer."

"And what about _my_ pain?" Emily argued. "Doesn't that count for anything?"

"Of course it does," Angel nodded sympathetically.

"So tell me why I have to go back and experience that pain when you didn't have to?!"

"Because then you would be making the same mistake _I _made," a seventh voice spoke up. Turning, Emily's eyes widened upon seeing a young girl with short red hair walking up, carrying a small child in her arms.

"A…April," Emily blinked in amazement at seeing her there before looking closer at the child she was carrying. It was a little girl with red hair and wide green eyes. "I…is that…?"

"Yes, this is Muesetta," April confirmed, smiling gently down at the little girl before looking back at Emily. "You remember what happened to the two of us, of course. You remember how I took the easy way out to escape the pain of loosing my baby."

"Yeah," Emily replied. "That's not something you can forget easily."

"But that's one of the differences between you and me," April continued. "You've never taken the easy way out before. You've always endured everything you've had to face. I can't believe that you'd actually give up now. Don't do what I did, Emily. Never take the easy way out. After all, you saw first hand how I hurt the people I cared about the most by doing that." Emily immediately looked away, remembering the day she had first seen Roger, Collins and Mark, and how the later two had tried to restrain Roger as paramedics loaded April's body into the back of an ambulance.

"Emily," Roger stepped into the conversation for the first time. "Do you remember what you promised me, the last time we spoke? You promised me that you'd look after Rodolfo and Mark for me. Well…Rodolfo's almost an adult now, and it won't be too much longer before he goes out to live his own life, and the same can be said for Zack and Lucia. But that means Mark needs you now more then ever. If you don't go back, then in just a few more years, Rodolfo, Zack and Lucia will all have moved out of the Condo. And who will Mark have then? Can you really leave him behind to live out his life alone like that? You of all people should know what that would do to him."

"You…have a point," Emily allowed softly, still looking away. "But…after what happened to me…..I've heard all about what people go through…afterwards, unable to handle the people they care about even touching them. I…I can't hurt Mark like that, either."

"I know it's not the same thing, Emily," Mimi spoke gently. "Bur…well, if it helps, I remember the days before I successfully gave up smack for good. The withdrawals were some of the most painful moments I experienced in my entire life. But, in the end, it was worth it. And not just because I was finally clean when they were over. Throughout the whole time, Roger was right there with me, even though there was nothing he could do to help stop the pain. All he could do was just hold and comfort me. And by doing that, we actually became even closer than we were before. Maybe…this is _your_ chance to experience withdrawal, Emily. Because I might not know Mark the way you do, but I know him enough to know that all he'll want is to help you through any trauma you'd have to go through. All you have to do is…give him the chance to be there for you."

"Well, Emily," Zack chuckled, pulling her into a one-armed hug when Emily didn't reply to Mimi's words. "It's your choice, so…what's it going to be?" Very slowly, Emily looked at each of her friends' faces before turning to Zack, a small smile appearing on her face.

* * *

One of the strongest thoughts that dwelled in the back of Mark's mind was how tired he was getting of hospitals. He had a strong feeling that if he actually counted the number of hours he'd spent sitting in a hospital throughout his life, he would actually find that he'd spent at least a quarter of his life in rooms like this one. What made it even worse was the reason why he was here now.

Tearing his eyes away from the wires and machines that were keeping a record of her vitals, Mark gazed down at Emily's still form. It had been almost an hour since the paramedics had brought her into the hospital's emergency room, but she still hadn't regained consciousness. Without his permission, the words of the doctor who had examined her echoed through Mark's memory. The doctor had told him that Emily hadn't suffered any serious damage when she'd slipped in the bathroom, but for some reason, her heart was very weak. It was almost as if Emily did not want to wake up, that she was just giving up, and Mark couldn't accept the thought that Emily would actually do that.

"Emily," Mark whispered, gripping her hand tightly. "If you can hear me, please don't do this to me. Don't do this to us. You can't give up like this. You gotta wake up. There's so much you still have to do. The children aren't ready to be without a mother yet. And Penny! She'd never be able to handle loosing you like she lost her birth mother. She needs you to live, to be there when she marries James, and maybe even when they giving us grandchildren. And I need you to be there for that, too. As much as I want to see that happen, it won't mean _anything_ if you're not there to share it with me." Feeling the tears forming in his eyes, Mark bent down to kiss Emily's hand before pressing his face against her still shoulder.

"Please open your eyes, Cricket," he choked through his tears, his voice partially muffled. "I need you. I love you. Don't leave me, please." For a couple of minutes, Mark continued to cry in desperation and fear, silently begging God to not take Emily away from him or their loved ones.

"Please," Mark whispered, squeezing his eyes tighter against the film of tears. "You're supposed to be merciful, so please show my family some mercy now. Let my wife live." Once again, a heavy silence filled the room, marred only by Mark's quiet sobs. Until...

"….Mar…" Mark's eyes flew open at the sound of the low, rough voice speaking, glancing around the room to try and see who had just spoken, but seeing no one. Just when he started to think he'd only imagined it, he heard the voice again.

"Mar….Mar…k." This time, Mark felt something lightly covering his hand. With a sharp gasp, he looked down to see that it had been Emily's hand. In a flash, Mark turned to Emily's face and was greeted by the sight of Emily's hazel eyes fixed upon him.

"Emily!" Mark cried upon seeing she was awake, an elated smile forming upon his face. However, the smile quickly disappeared from the shock of seeing Emily returning the smile. He hadn't seen her smile since they'd had dinner at the Life, the night they'd learned Kingpin had escaped from jail. If she was smiling again now, did it mean…?

"Emily…are you….?" Emily's smile grew even larger, and she slowly lifted her arm to place her hand tenderly against his cheek, brushing away one of his tears with her thumb.

"Mark," Emily whispered in a voice that was weak and rough from its lack of use." A sob of joy slipped from Mark's throat as he pressed Emily's hand closer against his face, pressing a kiss against her palm for good measure.

"Emily, Cricket," Mark gasped out, falling forward and pulling her into a loving embrace. "Thank God. I love you so much!"

"Love you, too," Emily croaked, rubbing Mark's back, placing a kiss of her own against his shoulder.

* * *

**AN:** Hope that put a smile on my readers' faces. However, this story is almost over. I think there will be two or three more chapters left. It all depends on how it turns out in print. Please don't forget to review. They make me smile.


	16. The State Fair

**AN:** Hello, I am back, finally. I was having a bit of trouble with this chapter, mostly because I'm dragging my feet at this point. After this, there is only going to be one or two more chapters, plus an epilogue. I'm a little sad to have this story end.

Before I begin the chapter, I just wanted to discuss the flow of the song featured in this chapter. Basically, words in bold are the lines sung by Rodolfo, Zack and Alvin and the words in italics are sung by Kris, Zoey and Lucia. When all of the Boho Kids are singing, the words will be underlined. Hope that makes sense. On that note, read on and enjoy.

* * *

The weather was warm and sunny on the day the Kelly family's Dodge Ram pulled up to the fairground entrance.

"Alright, everyone," David announced, leaning out the window to speak to Adam, Andy, and the Boho Kids as they climbed out of the truck bed. "Justin and I are going to find a parking space. You guys go on in, and be sure to have fun. Adam, Andy, don't forget to meet us by the Grange Building at half past twelve so…we can set up." As he said this, David glanced briefly over at Kris, seemingly worried that he'd just said something that might upset her. However, Kris flashed him a brief smile, and David appeared to accept the gesture.

Once David and Justin had driven off, Kris turned to her friends.

"So, what do you want to do first?" she asked, passing them a map of the fairgrounds, briefly waving to her brothers as they headed through the main gate.

"I want to go see the rides!" Lucia stated with an excited grin.

"That's got my vote," Alvin agreed. "How about you, Zack?"

"Actually," Zack replied, "Zoey told me last night that she wanted to see the animals once we got here."

"Oh, sure thing," Rodolfo nodded. "Where do you want to meet up later?" Instead of replying, Zack simply looked away, refusing to even glance at his 'cousin.'

"We'll meet for ice cream at the Dairy Products Building at noon," Zoey stepped in, taking hold of Zack's hand. Before she walked off with Zack, she glanced back to direct a sympathetic and apologetic smile at Rodolfo. However, her smile did nothing to help Rodolfo's internal pain from knowing Zack was still angry with him.

"Hey, come on, Rodolfo," Alvin urged, giving his friend's shoulder a playful shove. "The rides are waiting."

"Yeah, okay," Rodolfo forced a smile as he followed his friends towards the midway.

* * *

"Not bad, huh," Zack asked, watching as Zoey pet a sheep that had just been sheered.

"They just look so different without all that wool," Zoey commented. After a few more seconds, Zoey turned to Zack with a soft smile. "You know what this reminds me of, with all the different animals in here? It reminds me of that time we went to the zoo, back when we'd only just met. Remember?"

"I could never forget that," Zack answered. "That was the first time we saw you smile."

"Yes, I had good reason to smile," Zoey closed her eyes in remembrance. "Before that day, I never had any friends. I was never allowed to have any. That's why I'll always remember that day at the zoo. Because it was the first time I knew what it felt like to have friends. Friends like you…and Rodolfo." At the mention of Rodolfo's name, Zack's smile shifted into a frown, something Zoey instantly noticed. "Zack, I think you should know how much I hate seeing you refusing to talk to Rodolfo, like you did earlier when he asked where you wanted to meet later on."

"I don't have anything to say to him," Zack shook his head. "Not when he's still all smiles while Mom is…"

"Do you really think he doesn't care?" Zoey asked incredulously. "I can't believe you would honestly feel that way, Zack. After all, he was raised by your mother, too."

"Then tell me why he's not showing any sympathy for me and Lucia," Zack demanded. "Since we left New York, he's just been all excited, dragging us out every day with this smile on his face, as if nothing is wrong."

"Yeah," Zoey nodded sadly. "Kris was talking to me last night about that. It sounded like Rodolfo's just been trying to act like everything was normal…because he didn't want you to see how the situation with your mom was hurting him."

"That's just dumb," Zack shook his head. "Why would he do something stupid like that?"

"I don't know," Zoey shrugged. "Kris…wasn't very specific about it. She said that she wouldn't betray Rodolfo's trust, especially since he opened up to her in confidence. But it sounded as if…Rodolfo only wanted to be strong for you and Lucia, so the two of you could turn to him for strength. But…at the same time, Rodolfo hasn't had anyone to lean on himself. It makes sense to me, considering how it's so like him to look out for others."

"What do you mean?" Zack asked hesitantly, turning slowly to her.

"Well," Zoey began. "First, it was Rodolfo who made sure my father wouldn't be able to hurt me, while we were waiting for the police to come for him. And…Kris and Alvin told me all about the time you went to summer camp; how Rodolfo threw the final competition to help you after you fell down the hill and hurt your ankle. And then he even risked his own life in Los Angeles, trying to keep that chop shop owner from finding the places where you, Alvin and Kris were hiding. Thinking about those instances, it…just makes sense that Rodolfo would try to act like everything was fine for you and Lucia, because he wouldn't want you to suffer more than you already were. I think he's just trying to stay positive so you and your sister won't get too discouraged."

Zack was absolutely silent, contemplating Zoey's insight. He had never thought about it like that, but now that he'd actually heard the words out loud, they actually made sense.

* * *

An eager smile lit Lucia's face as she and the others stood on line for the Fire Ball.

"This looks so much fun!" she announced in excitement as the line started moving again."

"Luce, remind me sometime to thank your brother for having you for a little sister," Alvin stated, grinning at the 12-year-old. "I can't believe you're the same kid who used to be too scared to sit through Star Wars."

"I. was. five," Lucia replied, fixing him with a stern glare.

"It's okay, Lucia," Rodolfo spoke up. "I'm sure Alvin was just referring to the fact that you've grown up a lot. Back then, you were just Zack's annoying little sister who we had to let tag along with us. But now, you're one of the gang."

"Thanks, Rodolfo," Lucia smiled happily.

By now, the Boho Kids had reached the front of the line, but they were stopped by the operator.

"I'm sorry, everyone," he apologized. "I'm afraid there's only room for two more people on this run. You'd either have to split up or wait for the next one."

"Oh," Alvin shrugged. "Well, we can come back later, then."

"Actually, Alvin," Rodolfo shook his head. "Maybe…you and Lucia should go on together."

"Wait, what?" Alvin gaped.

"Come on, you two want to go on, right? So don't let us stop you."

"But Rodolfo," Lucia frowned in concern. 'We won't have time to wait for you and Kris to ride after us. We'd need to head off right after this ride if we're meeting Zack and Zoey for ice cream."

"All the more reason for you and Alvin to catch this last ride," Rodolfo insisted, lightly pushing them forward. "Besides, I think I want to get some nachos from that food stand over there. Kris, do you want to come, too? I think they have frozen lemonade. I know how much you love that."

"Yeah, that does sound nice," Kris agreed.

"Okay then," Rodolfo turned back to Alvin and Lucia. "You two enjoy the Fire Ball and we'll meet you when the ride's over."

"Well...if you're sure," Alvin answered.

"More than sure. Go on."

After Alvin and Lucia had continued on to board the Fire Ball, Rodolfo and Kris stepped out of line to make their way to the food stand.

"Kris," Rodolfo began as they walked. "You remember what you said to me the other night, about how I can fool the others into thinking everything's fine with me, but I can't fool you? Well, it's the same in reverse, did you know that?"

"What do you mean?" Kris asked.

"I mean that you're not acting like the Kris I know. Even that smile of yours is off. And I saw how your father looked at you when he spoke to your brothers about setting up for something. Something's bugging you, isn't it?"

"It's…nothing really, Brown Eyes," Kris admitted, glancing at her feet. "But…every year, my family and I perform some songs at the fair. It's a tradition that they've been doing since before my brothers were even born. And…this is the first time I can't be a part of that performance." Rodolfo grimaced instantly, mentally kicking himself. He had completely forgotten how Kris had broken her guitar in her vain attempt at keeping Kingpin from abducting Emily, and he felt horrible for forgetting, especially since he knew that the guitar in question had originally belonged to Kris' mother, who had died from breast cancer when Kris was only three.

"Oh, Kris, I…I'm sorry. I should have realized what…your mother's guitar. I'm so sorry."

"It's fine Rodolfo," Kris smiled weakly. "I would have done it again to try and help keep your aunt safe from Kingpin. Besides, it was just a guitar. I'm just sad that I can't join the family this year. I mean, me performing alongside my dad, uncle and brothers; it was my way of trying to keep my mother's spirit alive. I don't remember that much about her, but I do remember how much she loved to perform for others. In fact…it had been a dream of hers to travel the world one day, bringing her gift of music to everyone instead of having them come to the coffeehouse. But…she never got the chance to even start living her dream. The cancer saw to that. That's why I'd always looked forward to performing with my family at the fair every year, so I could do my part to help my mother achieve her dream to some degree."

For a brief moment, Rodolfo was silent, thinking about what Kris was saying, realizing he could relate with her wish. After all, he had lost both his parents to an incurable illness as well, and he knew how their deaths had affected everyone in their extended family. Every day, he'd seen those who remembered his mother and father work hard to try and keep their memories alive.

In that very moment, an idea came to him. However, to make it work, he needed to rely on one crucial detail.

"Hey, Kris?" Rodolfo spoke up, glancing down at his plastic nacho tray. "Could you wait here a moment? I just want to see if I can get some more cheese for my nachos."

"Okay," Kris nodded. Trying to hurry while still appearing nonchalant, Rodolfo moved through the fairgrounds to return to the Fire Ball, where he arrived just in time to meet Alvin and Lucia as they stepped out.

"Rodolfo, what are you up to?" Alvin asked, immediately noticing the familiar mischievous gleam in his friend's eyes.

"Where's Kris?" Lucia looked around, noticing that she wasn't anywhere in sight.

"Alvin, can I use your phone?" Rodolfo asked with a giant grin. "I need to call Zoey. There's something we need to do for Kris, but we're going to need Zoey and Zack on board if it's going to work."

* * *

At about ten to one, Rodolfo, Alvin, Lucia and Kris entered the Grange building, where a crowd was already formed. On the stage, they could see David, Justin, Adam and Andy setting up for their performance.

"Oh!" Lucia cried, feigning ignorance the way Rodolfo had told her to. "You mean your family plays here at the fair, Kris? Why didn't you tell us?"

"It's not that important, really," Kris shrugged. "Besides, it's not like I can be up on stage with them this year. After all, I lost my guitar, so…"

"What's that got to do with it?" Zoey asked as she and Zack suddenly appeared next to them, both with identical smiles. "You really think you can't be up there with your family, just because you lost your instrument?"

"Wait, what are you guys up to?" Kris raised an eyebrow, realizing how everyone was now smiling as if they were all in on some big secret.

"Well, it was Rodolfo's idea, actually," Zack explained, ushering Kris closer to the stage as he spoke. "When you told him how you couldn't participate in your family's performance because of what happened to your mother's guitar, he thought of a way that you could still appear on stage."

It was only then that Kris saw the fold-up sign that had been set up on stage. Normally the sign her father and uncle put up simply read The Kelly Family Band, but someone had made a small addition. Now, the sign read The Kelly Family Band with vocalization by the Boho Kids.

"You're not serious," Kris stared in amazement, just as David noticed that she'd arrived.

"You've got yourself some really good friends, Kris," he stated. "They thought this whole thing up on their own. But it's up to you if you want to go through with it." For a moment, Kris silently thought about it, but then, with a wide smile directed at her friends, she climbed up onto stage, the other Boho Kids following after her immediately.

"This was really your idea, Brown Eyes?" Kris whispered as everyone got ready for the performance to begin.

"Well," Rodolfo shrugged. "I know how it feels to want to keep your mother's spirit alive. I can relate to that." The two friends shared a smile for a brief moment, until Justin started strumming out the opening bridge to a song on his banjo. Recognizing the notes, Kris' eyes momentarily widened, but then shifted into her characteristic placid smile.

**I feel no shame**

**I'm proud of where I came from**

**I was born and raised in the boondocks**

**One thing I know**

**No matter where I go**

**I keep my heart and soul in the boondocks**

And I can feel that

Muddy water running through my veins

And I can hear that

Lullaby of a midnight train

It sings to me and

It sounds familiar

I feel no shame

I'm proud of where I came from

I was born and raised in the boondocks

One thing I know

No matter where I go

I keep my heart and soul in the boondocks

_And I can taste that_

_Honeysuckle and it's still so sweet_

_When it grows wild_

_On the banks down an old camp creek_

_Yeah, and it calls to me like a warm wind blowing_

I feel no shame

I'm proud of where I came from

I was born and raised in the boondocks

One thing I know

No matter where I go

I keep my heart and soul in the boondocks

_It's where I learned about living_

_It's where I learned about love_

_It's where I learned about working hard_

_And having a little was just enough_

It's where I learned about Jesus

And knowing where I stand

You can take it or leave it

This is me

This is who I am

**Give me a tin roof**

**A front porch and a**

**Gravel road**

**And that's home to me**

**It feels like home to me**

I feel no shame

I'm proud of where I came from

I was born and raised in the boondocks

One thing I know

No matter where I go

I keep my heart and soul in the boondocks

I keep my heart and soul in the boondocks

You get a line

I'll get a pole

We'll go fishing in the

Crawfish hole

Five-card poker on Saturday night

Church on Sunday morning

You get a line

I'll get a pole

We'll go fishing in the

Crawfish hole

_Down in the boondocks_

**Five-card poker on a Saturday night**

_Say a little prayer for me_

**Church on Sunday morning**

You get a line

I'll get a pole

We'll go fishing in the

Crawfish hole

_Down in the boondocks_

**Five-card poker on a Saturday night**

_Say a little prayer for me_

**Church on Sunday morning**

* * *

By the time the Kelly Family's Dodge Ram returned to New York, it was already well past midnight. Thus, Rodolfo, Zack and Lucia had to be woken up when they pulled up to their apartment building.

"Mmm," Rodolfo mumbled sleepily. "Hope Auntie Maureen and Aunt Joanne will forgive us for not calling them until the morning. I know we promised Dad we'd let them know we made it back safe, but I'm really tired and just want to get into bed."

"Yeah, me too," Lucia agreed, rubbing her eyes. "Knowing Auntie Maureen, she wouldn't let us get off the phone for another two hours if we called her now. She'd probably demand that we tell her all about everything we did when we were away. It'll be best for all of us if we held off calling until the sun's up."

As Rodolfo and Lucia stepped out of the van, Zack leaned over to kiss Zoey's cheek.

"Goodnight, Zoey," he whispered quietly as Zoey shifted in her sleep. "I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," Zoey mumbled without opening her eyes. "Night, Zack. Love you."

"Love you, too."

"Zack?" A half-asleep Kris suddenly spoke up, stopping Zack before he joined his sister and 'cousin' on the sidewalk. "Thank Rodolfo for me, okay? Thank him…for what he did for me at the fair."

"I will," Zack promised.

After the Dodge Ram had driven off, Rodolfo, Zack and Lucia headed inside, making the trip up to the Condo in silence. However, upon entering their home, they immediately noticed something was up.

"Hey," Zack said. "The lights are on. We remembered to turn them off before we left, didn't we?"

"Yeah, it was morning when we left for Michigan," Lucia remembered. "Maybe Penny stopped by or something, and…" Lucia trailed off when they heard the sound of a door opening. Turning, they stared in amazement as Mark stepped out of his bedroom.

"Dad?" Lucia and Zack cried in unison.

"Uncle Mark, you're back!" Rodolfo gaped. "But…how…when…?"

'Where's Mom?" Zack asked with wide eyes. For a few seconds, Mark's face was unreadable, but then he smiled down at his children and 'nephew', moving aside to allow Emily to step out into the room as well. Immediately a silence fell within the Condo as Rodolfo, Zack and Lucia stood frozen, barely daring to even breathe as Emily smiled warmly back at them..

"Mom?" Lucia whispered. "MOM!" In a flash, she had ran right over to Emily, throwing her arms around her, tears coursing down her face when Emily returned the hug without hesitation. Lucia's action effectively broke the spell as Rodolfo and Zack hurried over, following her example.

* * *

**AN:** Credit for the song featured in this chapter, which is called _Boondocks_, goes to Little Big Town.


	17. Stories Ending, Stories Beginning

**AN: **And I'm back, after dragging my feet for a while. I had a lot of trouble with the second scene in this chapter, and it took me a long time to figure out how to wrap it up. Anyway, I really hope everyone will like this chapter, because there will only be one more chapter after this one, plus an epilogue. That means the Boho Kids Arc is practically finished.

In a partially related story, I have a new poll posted on my profile, but only one person has voted so far. I would appreciate a few more. On that note, read on and enjoy.

* * *

"Mark, this really isn't necessary," Emily sighed, giving him a loving but exasperated look when he wouldn't let her get up off the couch. "You know I'm perfectly capable of walking over to the sink to get some water."

"I know you are, Emily," Mark smiled in response from the kitchenette, filling a glass with cool tap water. "But I'm still just so happy to have you back."

"I understand that, and I'm glad I'm back, too," Emily shook her head. "But I think you've already taken care of me enough for quite a while. Sooner or later, you're going to have to let me help myself again. After all, you've been out from work for a while now, and if you don't go back soon, your job might be at stake. And as much as they care for us, I don't think Maureen and Joanne will be happy with us if you constantly make them babysit me while you're gone."

As Emily spoke, she reluctantly accepted the glass of water from Mark, but before he could respond to her arguments, there was an unexpected knock on the door. Upon answering the door, they found that it was Kris.

"Hi Mr. Cohen, Mrs. Cohen," Kris greeted with a placid smile.

"Hello to you too, Kris," Emily spoke kindly.

"It's good to see you," Mark echoed the sentiment. "But you do know that Rodolfo and Zack aren't home right now, don't you? Their senior year at high school started today."

"Oh, I know," Kris replied. "I'm really here to drop off these Panini from the coffeehouse. Dad and Uncle Justin made them especially for the two of you to share, as a belated 'welcome back to New York' present."

"Well, be sure to thank them for us," Emily requested.

"I will," Kris promised. "Well, I'd better get back to help out at the coffeehouse. We're usually really busy this time of day."

"Wait," Mark suddenly remembered something. "Hold on for a minute, Kris. There was something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh, okay," Kris turned back around. "What about?"

"Well, Rodolfo and Zack were telling me about how you made a personal sacrifice on that night a few months back. They said that the guitar you broke while trying to stop Kingpin had belonged to your mother."

"It's no big deal," Kris shrugged, trying to sound indifferent. "Like I told Rodolfo at the state fair, it was just a guitar."

"Nevertheless," Emily took over. "No musician should be without their instrument. Since you _did_ loose your mother's guitar because of me, it seems only fair that we return the favor."

"Last night," Mark continued, "Emily and I talked about it, and…we agreed that this was the right thing to do." As Mark spoke, Kris watched with wide eyes as he carefully took a red and black fender guitar down from its spot on the wall and handed it to her.

"B…but Mr. and Mrs. Cohen!" she gasped. "That…that's Rodolfo's _father's_ fender! I…I couldn't take that! Not knowing how much it means to Rodolfo, and to the two of you. I mean…Mr. Davis was your best friend!"

"Yes, he was," Mark nodded in confirmation. "But…since Roger was my best friend, I know for a fact that he'd want it this way, too. He loved this old fender, so he would not have been happy to know that it was simply hanging on a wall gathering dust. He'd want it to be used in the way it was meant to be. And I can't think of anyone he'd rather have us pass it on to than you. After all, you love music as much as he did and, since you know about how invaluable this fender is, it's clear that you will take good care of it."

"Mr. Cohen, Mrs. Cohen," Kris whispered, taking the fender with shaking hands as Mark once again passed it over to her. "Thank you. Thank you both so much. I promise you I'll treasure it forever."

* * *

"Okay, whoever it was who thought up ties was a sick jerk," Rodolfo grumbled, tugging at the tight knot that pressed against his throat. "I swear, I'm actually having a bit of trouble breathing."

"Come on, Rodolfo," Zack sighed. "Mom said you could take it off after the actual ceremony. You can bear with it for thirty minutes, can't you?

"Easy for you to say," Rodolfo huffed. "Auntie Maureen didn't help you with _your_ tie, did she? She went and pulled mine so tight, it keeps rubbing against my windpipe. And this knot; I'd have an easier time getting into Fort Knox."

The two boys were standing in the gathering space of the church, both dressed in good suits, waiting for the ceremony to actually begin. However, Rodolfo was currently more concerned with fighting a loosing battle with his tie, which he couldn't seem to loosen.

"Having trouble, Brown Eyes?" Kris asked, suddenly stepping out into the gathering space.

"Hey, Kris," Rodolfo smiled instantly before glancing down at her attire of a simple black dress with a magenta sash.

"Yeah, I know," Kris shrugged, realizing exactly what Rodolfo was looking at. "I'm wearing a dress again. But this isn't like the last time with Tracy, so…"  
"Kris, it's okay," Rodolfo shook his head. "We know you're not going to be going around like this all the time. Dressing like this is just a basic requirement for things like this. Otherwise, I would not be in this monkey suit." Once again, Rodolfo started tugging on the knot in his tie.

"Here, let me help," Kris offered, reaching over and effortlessly loosening the knot.

"Hey, thanks!" Rodolfo grinned.

"No problem," Kris returned the smile. "Remember, I have two older brothers, so I'm quite familiar with tie knots."

"Sorry again that we can't sit with you, Zoey and Alvin during the ceremony, Kris," Zack stepped into the conversation.

"Don't worry about it," Kris winked. "At least we'll all be able to sit together at the dinner later, right?"

"Yeah, you can count on it," Zack agreed.

"Hey, guys," Zoey spoke up, stepping out to join her friends, with Alvin close behind her. Like Rodolfo, Zack and Kris, they were both dressed formally as well, with Alvin in an expensive looking suit and Zoey in a blue ombre dress. "We were sent to tell you that it's almost time and you need to get to your seats.

"Thanks, Zoey, Alvin," Kris grinned as she, Zack and Rodolfo followed them back into the church where they each went off to join their individual families.

When Zack and Rodolfo reached the second pew where Lucia was already sitting, they took a moment to glace back at the other people who were there. Apart from Maureen, Joanne, Zoey and her grandparents, the Coffins and the Kellys, they could make out the faces of Mrs. Kurtz and her adult son, William, some of the staff at the hospital where Penny worked and even some of James' coworkers from the city's taxi service. What's more, they even noticed some faces they'd only ever seen in pictures before this day, such as that of James' grandfather, whom James had always had a good relationship with, even after his parents had disowned him for fathering Sammy. They even saw Robbie Kysar, who had been a friend of the Bohemian family before he'd moved to Colorado a long time ago, along with Robbie's wife, Amy, and their adopted sons, Rupert and Jerry.

"Guess we shouldn't be too surprised the Kysars were invited," Lucia stated, waving over to them. "After all, Rupert and Jerry were some of Penny's childhood friends."

"Not to mention the only ones from the Center who she hadn't completely lost touch with," Rodolfo agreed.

"Regardless of the reason, it's still good to see those boys again," Emily announced, taking a seat in the pew in front of her children. Once she was sitting, she pulled Sammy into her lap. It had been decided earlier that Emily would watch Sammy during the ceremony and the dinner, seeing as how James would be too busy to take care of his son for the day.

Smiling instantly, Zack and Lucia stood up to briefly hug their mother, still feeling some disbelief that they had her back again. Even though Emily hadn't completely recovered from her ordeal and still experienced panic attacks from time to time, she still was able to interact normally with the family, and she could handle being around large groups of people, too, if she had time to prepare herself for it. Even so, Mark had expressed some hesitation about Emily attending the ceremony, worrying that the crowd of guests would be too much for her, but he gave in without a fight, knowing that Emily was adamant about being here today.

"Daddy!" Sammy suddenly called out, grinning. Sure enough, James had stepped out through a side door, nervously straightening out his tuxedo jacket and tie. Upon hearing his son calling out, James turned to the front pew and smiled broadly at the little boy perched on Emily's lap. However, James' face shifted back to nervousness again when he looked away, occasionally glancing down the center aisle. Just as he started to slightly rock back and forth on the balls of his feet, he heard the organ music change and glanced up in time to see Penny's friend, Rachel, appearing in the doorway and make her way up the aisle. For a brief moment, Rachel caught his eye and gave him an '_I wondered how long it would take you to do this_' look. James chuckled to himself as Rachel reached her proper place next to the alter, but because of his anxiety reaching a high point, he was unable to return her smile. Rachel's appearance was indication that he only had a few more seconds to wait.

Sure enough, the organ music crescendoed, accompanied by the sounds of everyone getting to their feet. Taking a calming breath, he slowly looked over and immediately met Penny's eyes as she entered the room, with Mark at her side. In that moment, almost everything else became irrelevant. The only thing that mattered at that exact moment was that they'd finally reached this day.

From this point on, he and Penny would always be together. She would no longer be his girlfriend, but his wife. After day, they would officially be a family.

* * *

Laughter rang out through the dining area in the Coffin's Gracie Mews apartment as party crackers were pulled and platters of Thanksgiving day food, namely roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, green been casserole, cranberry sauce from scratch and from a can, yams, stuffing, peas, corn, turnips and fresh-baked rolls, were passed around. Due to how large the Bohemian family had grown, Allison and Benny had offered to host the family's Thanksgiving dinner this year, and just about everyone they'd invited had shown up; Mark, Emily, Lucia, Zack, Rodolfo, Maureen, Joanne, and even the Kelly family and Zoey and her grandparents. The only ones who were missing were James, Penny and Sammy.

"It doesn't feel the same without Penny being here this year," Maureen noted, passing the tureen of peas over to Danielle, Zoey's grandmother.

"I know. It's not," Mark agreed with a bittersweet smile. "But you can't blame her, can you? After all, this is the first Thanksgiving her and James have been married for. They have every right to want to spend it with just the three of them. Although, Penny _did_ ask me to let you know she'll be available tomorrow. Black Friday, remember?"

"Oh, I haven't forgotten," Maureen replied with an almost evil grin, which triggered even more laughter from everyone there.

For a time, random conversations, jokes and old stories were the main focus of everyone's attention. After a while, however, Emily ended up mentioning, just in passing, how Penny and James were having a special party for Sammy in a few weeks to celebrate how well he did on his second-grade spelling test.

"Wow, second grade," Joanne mused to herself. "That boy's really growing up fast. Has it really been that long since he was that three-year-old boy who Penny gave the tetanus shot to? Next thing you know, he'll be graduating high school."

"Hmm," Benny spoke up, turning to Alvin, Zack, Rodolfo, Zoey and Kris. "Speaking of graduating, have any of you thought about what colleges you're applying to? After all, you'll have to start sending applications in about two more months."

"Aw, Dad," Alvin sighed. "I don't know. I mean, I guess I could apply to Brown, like you did, and I know Grandpa expects me to…."

"Oh, no you don't," Allison shook her head. "You can't choose to attend a certain college just because you're _expected_ to."

"That's right," David agreed. "The best way to go about it is to think about what you want to major in, and see which colleges offer the best programs in that particular field."

"Well," Alvin thought about that. "Actually, I haven't made a final decision yet, but…I've narrowed it down to engineering or real estate."

"I've been getting a lot of positive feedback on my opinion column in the school newspaper," Zack announced. "I wouldn't mind trying to do that for a living. After all, when Mr. Schunard called us last week, he even said that you could actually get paid for how you look at the world. How about you, Zoey?"

Well," Zoey smiled with a nervous blush. "I…I wanted to try and become a social worker. So… I can help other kids who had a….similar upbringing to mine." Very briefly, an awkward silence fell as the Bohemians remembered Zoey's abusive father.

"That's wonderful, Zoey," Richard, Zoey's grandfather, finally stated. "Your mother would have been very proud of you. I know, because I am."

"We both are," Danielle agreed.

"Thank you," Zoey blushed even more as Zack took her hand and gave it a loving squeeze.

"So, what about you two?" Maureen urged, glancing over at Rodolfo and Kris. However, they did not immediately reply and momentarily looked at one another, seemingly having a non-verbal conversation. After a few seconds, Rodolfo got to his feet.

"Well," he began. "I was actually planning on telling Uncle Mark and Aunt Emily this in private, but…I guess now's as good a time as any. The truth is…I've decided I didn't want to go to college. At least, not right away. I'd like to take a year off after high school to do some traveling.

"Now, I know this might sound crazy and all, and it probably makes all of you think about all the stupid stuff and half-baked stunts I've pulled throughout my life, but this isn't just a spur of the moment decision. I've actually spoken to the school guidance councilor and career advisers about this. They both said that taking the time to travel is a good way to transition yourself to life outside of school; that it can help you learn how to interact with people from different social and economic levels. They also said that potential employers like seeing that you've spent time abroad when they look at resumes, because it shows you have initiative and resourcefulness. And, you can even pick up foreign languages, too, which is also a major plus when looking for a job."

"And what about money?" Joanne questioned. "How are you going to pay for this?"

"Yeah, I've thought about that," Rodolfo replied without missing a beat. "But I've spent a while doing some personal research on this. As long as you travel light, only taking what you absolutely need, and take it slow, it might be possible. From what I've read, spending the majority of your time in the country can also help reduce the costs of food and lodging. And there are even some people who are willing to accommodate travelers in their homes, in exchange for helping them out with some of the daily chores."

"Rodolfo," Emily whispered. "While…it's obvious that you've actually put a lot of thought into this, I…still don't like the idea of you traveling on your own."

"Actually," Kris spoke up, also getting to her feet. "He's _not_ going to be alone. The truth is, Rodolfo and I planned on doing this together. I'd also like to travel, for all the same reasons Rodolfo just mentioned. And…I remember how my mother wanted to travel the world once, and bring her music to others. So…I'd like to be the one to travel in her place. I want to travel for Mom, to make her dream a reality."

"And with Kris coming with me," Rodolfo continued, "We'd even have crafts and skills to fall back on when money gets tight. Everyone knows about how talented Kris is with the guitar, and as I learned at camp, I apparently have a talent for drawing. We could barter my drawings and Kris' music for food and places to sleep as we go along as well. Isn't that what Dad did when he was in Santa Fe? Uncle Mark, you were the one who told us how he used to play on street corners for money back then, right?"

"Wow," Zack muttered, staring at Rodolfo and Kris in amazement. "Rodolfo, don't take this the wrong way but…who are you, and what have you done to my 'cousin?' I don't think I've _ever_ seen you put this much thought into your schemes." Rodolfo grinned at Zack in response, but then cast a nervous eye over at Mark and Emily, noticing the uncertain expressions on their faces.

"Uncle Mark, Aunt Emily?" Rodolfo spoke warily. "I know that this may still sound risky, but…this is something I really want to do. So…please….will you let me?" For a brief moment, Mark and Emily were silent, seemingly thinking about their response. Finally, Mark took a deep breath and spoke up.

"Rodolfo, I'm afraid you're going to have to let us sleep on this. We'll…give you our answer in the morning."

* * *

"I just can't think about this without being worried," Emily confessed hours later as she and Mark talked about Rodolfo's plan in the privacy of their room. "I know Rodolfo will legally be an adult by the time he and Kris plan to start traveling, but I just can't think of him being so far from home for so long. And I still haven't forgotten what happened the last time he was off without supervision."

"Yeah, you're right. That didn't go to well at all," Mark agreed, also remembering the incident in Los Angeles, which nearly resulted in Rodolfo, Zack, Kris and Alvin getting killed. "But you also heard what he said during dinner. Unlike that time, it's clear he's thought long and hard about this."

"I suppose he has," Emily admitted. "But…the longest he's been away from home was when he was at camp, and that was a still a reasonably safe environment."

"Emily, believe me when I say I'm scared about this, too," Mark said, taking a seat on the bed next to her and reaching out to lace his fingers through hers. "Still, I suppose we should have expected he'd end up wanting to do something like this one day. After all, we can't forget who Rodolfo's parents were. Could we _really_ expect less of Roger and Mimi's son?"

"Yeah, this whole thing certainly sounds like them," Emily agreed with a faraway smile, fondly remembering their two best friends. "But Rodolfo is _not_ Roger, or Mimi, no matter how many traits they share. Rodolfo is a completely different person, Mark."

"Exactly," Mark nodded. "Knowing Mimi, she wouldn't have taken this long to think about it. Let's face it, she probably would have just hopped on a plane and flown off without a real plan. And Roger wouldn't be much better. His impromptu trip to Santa Fe after Angel's funeral proved that. And even though he said he wouldn't make that kind of mistake again upon his return, he still tried to sell his fender to buy Mimi's ring when he could have waited just a bit longer to earn enough money without resorting to giving away his way of making a living.

"But Rodolfo is apparently not just jumping into this. He and Kris clearly have taken the time to plan it all out and consider every possibility. And I'm sure if they run into real trouble, they will know enough to call and ask us for help."

"I know," Emily smiled, wiping away a fresh tear. "And that's why I'm so scared about this. I didn't think Rodolfo would have grown up this fast. He's really ready for this, isn't he?"

"I think he is," Mark pulled her into a comforting, supportive hug.

Even though Mark and Emily still continued to voice their concerns about Rodolfo and Kris' plans for a while longer, they eventually went to bed with their minds made up.

* * *

**AN**: Thank you for reading. And please, don't forget to review.


	18. Some Things Never Change

**AN:** Here it is. The final chapter of You Can't Burn the Past to the Ground. Even though there will be an epilogue, which I'll post next weekend, this will mark the end of the Boho Kids saga, and the majority of my RENT stories. While I may write additional stories for this fandom at some point, it will be a while from now, as I have other projects I'd like to complete/start. A huge thank you to everyone who's stuck with me this far, and and even bigger thank you to those who've left reviews. It's been a very fun experience for me.

On that note, here is the final chapter. Please enjoy.

* * *

In the middle of Thomson Square Park, Rodolfo, Zack, Alvin, Zoey and Kris were sprawled out on the grass beneath the shade of a tall tree. The public schools had let out for spring break, giving the five friends the chance to fully enjoy the warm weather for the last time before the summer. For the most part, they were completely silent, simply listening to the sounds of young children playing nearby and the traffic on the streets bordering the park, but every so often, Kris would casually run her fingers over the strings of the fender guitar Mark and Emily had given to her months earlier.

"It's going to be so strange when you two go," Zoey finally broke the silence, rolling onto her side to face Rodolfo and Kris. "I still can't believe you're leaving for Europe in the fall."

"Hey, it won't be that bad," Rodolfo smiled. "After all, aren't you, Zack and Alvin all heading off to the same college? So, it's not like you're going to be alone."

"Come off it, Dolf," Alvin laughed, once again using the nickname Rodolfo had once preferred. "You know it's not going to be the same without you and Kris. First off, Zack and I have known you since we were still in Pampers. You and Zack have spent nearly every single day of your lives together, and apart from the times when we were grounded for something, I was always able to see you both every day, either in school or here at the park. Plus, even _you_ can't pretend you don't know how much Zoey's going to miss you and Kris."

"Hey, we're going to miss you three, too," Kris spoke up. "But we can still call each other sometimes, and Rodolfo and I are going to write every chance we get. And it will only be for one year. We'll be back once your college lets out for the summer break. It would be exactly as if Rodolfo and I were only going to a different school."

"Yeah, but _Europe_?" Zack laughed. "That's the part I can't get over. Apart from visiting your grandparents in Michigan, Kris, and that incident in Los Angeles, neither of you have ever traveled outside New York State."

"They wouldn't call it an adventure if it was something inside your comfort level, Zacky," Rodolfo pointed out. "And isn't that one of the points of going to college? To take the risk of being on your own without someone there to hold your hand as you cross the street?"

"That's not the point!" Zoey cried, suddenly sounding angry. "Rodolfo, you and Kris are like the brother and sister I've never had. More than that, you two, Zack and Alvin were my very first friends, and I don't know if I can stand it if you weren't there. It was bad enough when I thought I was going to loose you and Zack to the witness relocation program, but I knew I could cope with it because you had no real choice in the matter and that you leaving was the best way to ensure you would stay safe. But now, you are leaving because you want to? You don't have to leave, but you still are! This time, there isn't any guarantee you'll be safe, and it scares me to death."

"Oh, Zoey," Kris moaned, pulling her into a comforting hug. "I'm sorry. We had no idea you felt that way about this."

"Yeah," Rodolfo agreed. "We're scared about this too, you know. But you can't let fear stop you. You know, we once had a friend of the family. She looked after Aunt Emily after her parents and older brother died. Her name was Nana Chang. She died from old age when Zack and I were still very young, so we have no actual memory of her. But Uncle Mark and Aunt Emily used to tell us stories about her. Apparently, Nana had this saying she was fond of. 'One cannot refuse to eat just because there's a chance of being choked.' We were told she said that often."

After a brief moment, in which Kris continued to rub Zoey's back in comfort, Zack shifted himself over to wrap his arms around her as well.

"It won't be so bad, Zoey," he spoke softly. "After all, Rodolfo and Kris won't be leaving anytime soon. We'll still have the summer together, and when they _do_ go off to Europe, classes at college will be starting up anyway."

"Yeah, that's right," Alvin agreed. "And Zack and I will be right there with you. You'll still have us around. Don't forget that."

"And we'll be back by the time your freshman year ends," Rodolfo concluded. "So just think of all the stories we'll be able to share with each other then."

Finally, Zoey gave a hesitant smile.

"Thank you, everyone. But I'm _still_ going to miss you guys," she admitted, glancing over at Rodolfo and Kris."

"We'll miss you, too, Zoey," Kris replied. "But like Zack said, we'll still have the whole summer together. So, let's try and make it the best summer ever."

"Well, that shouldn't be a problem," Alvin winked. "After all, we're all family. That's something that will _never_ change."

Once again, the Boho Kids fell back into their previous silence. This time, it was broken when Kris started playing out a cheerful tune on her fender, as if to confirm Alvin's statement.

_She gets up every mornin' while everyone's in bed  
Starts the coffee, makes the breakfast for all those sleepy-heads  
Yeah, yeah, some things never change  
_

Benny stepped out of the bedroom in his business suit, adjusting his tie as he walked. Upon reaching the foyer, he caught a glimpse of Allison in the kitchen, filling a stainless steel travel mug with coffee. With a soft smile, he crossed the room to hug her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"What would you say if I told you I wanted to stay home with you today?" Benny asked playfully.

"I'd tell you that, as nice as that would be, my father wouldn't be too happy with you if you did," Allison replied. "And Daddy's already been nice enough to rearrange his entire business schedule, including rescheduling the merger meeting, so you could have all of next week off for our trip."

"Well, that was mostly for you," Benny pointed out. "Of course your father would do what he could so you'd be able to enjoy our anniversary."

"Even so," Allison smiled, managing to pull herself out of Benny's embrace so she could face him, "it would be a bad idea to give Daddy any reason to regret his generosity."

"I know," Benny relented. "It just seems like we don't get enough time together these days."

"That's why we were going out of town next week, isn't it?" Allison pointed out, handing Benny the mug of coffee. "Now, you'd better get going. Joanne was telling me the other day that they're doing some maintenance work in the subway tunnels, so there might be a few delays. Oh, and don't forget; you promised to meet Mark and James today during your lunch hour."

"I didn't forget," Benny replied. "I'll see you tonight." With that, Benny briefly kissed Allison goodbye and headed out.

_He comes in all dressed for work sayin', "Baby, I love you"  
Gotta go, even though it's not what he wants to do  
But he does it, some things never change  
_

Mark and his coworker, Simon, walked down 11th street, discussing their latest filming project on local zoos while sharing a bag of pretzel bites.

"It's a shame they don't allow pets inside zoos," Simon was saying. "It would be interesting to have the entire thing filmed from an animal's point of view. Like that pet potbellied pig you and Emily keep. We could have come up with a special harness to attach a camera to his back."

"I don't think that would have worked anyway," Mark chuckled. "With the exception of our cat, Maya, Wenceslas is extremely wary of other animals. He's been that way ever since he was a piglet, when he was attacked by a dog. He still has scars on his ears and snout from that."

"Oh, that's right," Simon nodded. "I do remember you mentioning that incident. It was when you and your friends went to that spa in Texas, right?" When Mark didn't reply, Simon looked back to see he had stopped walking. Instead, he was standing next to a street sign, staring at the corner building with a longing expression. It took a moment for Simon to realize the reason for the look on Mark's face, but it all clicked when he registered what the street sign said. They had reached the corner of 11th Street and Avenue B.

"Mark?" Simon asked carefully. "This…this is where it was, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Mark nodded after a brief pause. "I…I used to stop by here every day after work. Just for nostalgic reasons. But this is the first time I've been to this street corner since….Emily's ordeal with Kingpin."

"I wish I could have known them," Simon announced sympathetically, knowing the true reason for Mark's sorrow. "They sounded like really great people."

"They were," Mark stated with conviction.

_In a world that keeps turnin' and movin' so fast  
When you can't hold on to nothin' and nothin' seems to last  
It's so good to know that love still remains  
Ain't you glad that some things never change?  
_

In a small but comfortable two-story house, Penny carefully placed a steak in the refrigerator to allow it to marinate for a few hours. It hadn't been that long since she and James moved to New Rochelle, wanting more room for their family then their old apartment in the city had offered, and they had known instantly that this was the house for them. Not only was it within walking distance to Lincoln Park, which was a positive factor when it came to Sammy, who was starting to voice an interest in trying out for Little League, but it was also close to the local Amtrak station, which made it easy for Emily and Mark to visit occasionally.

Once the marinating steak had been placed in the refrigerator, Penny carefully stood back to full height, placing a protective hand on her quickly rounding belly. Smiling to herself, Penny thought back to the day when they had first learned of her pregnancy. Even though she and James hadn't planned on having more children so soon, they had both been quite happy upon finding out about their new son or daughter, and they would not soon forget the excited look Sammy had gotten when he'd found out he was going to be a big brother.

Upon thinking about Sammy, Penny glanced up at the kitchen clock, seeing that it was nearly time for Sammy to get home from school. With one more loving pat to her swollen abdomen, Penny turned to start fixing an after-school snack of milk and carrot sticks for her young son.

_Three o'clock every afternoon waitin' by the door  
Sees her babies are runnin' off the bus, she couldn't love 'em any more  
Yeah, yeah, oh, some things never change  
_

Joanne stretched out on the cool grass within Thomson Square Park, casually linking her fingers with Maureen, who was sitting at her side.

"That breeze feels nice," she commented as the wind gently drifted by, causing the blades of grass to tickle her cheek.

"Yeah, it sure does," Emily agreed, her eyes closed in relaxation from her spot beneath a nearby tree. "I've _missed_ days like this." Upon hearing Emily speaking, Maureen and Joanne both smiled over at her.

Emily had really improved significantly in the few months after Penny and James' wedding. It had been weeks since her last panic attack, and she could now comfortably walk down a crowded street without having a relapse. In fact, while Emily still would tense up when she had to interact with strangers, Maureen and Joanne had a feeling that it was only noticeable to them because they knew her so well. Either way, it was perfectly clear that Emily was finally putting her nightmarish ordeal with Kingpin and the Rat Fang Gang behind her for good.

"So," Maureen began, turning onto her side to place a tender kiss to Joanne's forehead. "What are we going to do this afternoon? We could catch a movie, or go _shopping_! I heard there was a big sale today!"

"Maureen," Joanne smiled lovingly at her partner. "I don't think Emily'd like to have a repeat of last time.

"Aw, come on. It wasn't _that_ bad, was it Emily?" Maureen pouted, glancing at her friend beseechingly.

"Maureen, no offence," Emily replied, trying very hard not to laugh. "But as much as I like you and Joanne, on account of you two being the sisters I've never had, I didn't really enjoy the visual demonstration of what you wear when it's just the two of you. While I know and respect the fact that you're together, I'm not entirely comfortable picturing it.

"Although, if you two want to go out shopping for things like that, please don't let me stop you. I probably should think about heading back to the Condo soon, anyway. You know how Mark is. He still gets worried if I'm out for too long."

"OH!" Maureen shot back up. "You can't go back _yet_!" Slightly panicking, Maureen glanced down at Joanne, nonverbally asking for help. Mark had asked them to keep Emily out of the house until six, to allow him time to prepare a surprise dinner for them to share, in order to celebrate Emily's birthday. If Emily left for home now, she'd return home much to early.

"I have an idea," Joanne spoke up. "Why don't we go head over to that Art Photo Expo over in Soho? Mark said you wanted to go see that."

"Yeah, he was right," Emily agreed. "Okay then. If you want to do that, I'd love to come."

_Like when I'm lyin' next to you, well, I remember when  
Your kisses made me crazy so beautiful back then  
And I still feel the same, yeah, some things never change _

Tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, Zoey stepped into the coffee shop within Hillwood Commons at Long Island University. Within seconds, she spotted Alvin sitting at a small two-person table, and headed over to join him.

"Hey, Zoey," Alvin greeted, handing her one of the two lattes he'd purchased a few minutes ago. "How was your quiz today?"

"Oh, not too bad," Zoey smiled, sitting down across from him. "How about your paper?"

"It's coming along. But I think I'm going to have to reread that chapter that talks about aviation. I'm still a bit fuzzy on that one."

For a time, Alvin and Zoey continued their friendly chat over their lattes, until Alvin happened to glance at his watch.

"Whoa, I almost forgot!" he cried, digging into his bag and taking out a portable radio. "Zack's radio show's starting." No sooner had Alvin tuned into the right station, Zack's voice began to come out from the speakers.

"Good afternoon, Long Island University," Zack greeted "Hope all of you are enjoying this fine autumn weather. Just make sure not to neglect your studies too much as you enjoy it, because I don't think any of you want to be cooped up in the library or your dorm rooms playing catch up this weekend. Why? Because it just so happens I've managed to get a few passes for free group admission to Bayville Scream Park, Long Islands Halloween theme park, which was voted Long Island's scariest haunted house three years in a row. Throughout this program, I will be throwing in some old Halloween favorites into the lineup of songs that have been arraigned for today. I will be giving these passes away to the thirteenth caller every time I play one of those Halloween songs. So stay tuned, because I wouldn't want anyone to miss out on the chance to experience Bloodworth Haunted Mansion or the Temple of Terror."

"I'll say this much for ol' Zacky Boy," Alvin grinned. "He's got a real knack for radio. He's only started this semester, and he sounds like a professional radio personality."

"I'm not surprised," Zoey smiled to herself. "Even when he and I barely knew each other, he still seemed to know what to say to coax me out of the shell my father placed me in."

"Hmm," Alvin nodded in agreement, remembering the story of how Zack and Zoey first met. However, as he went to take another sip of his Latte, his eyes fell upon Zoey's left hand.

"Zoey?" Alvin's eyes widened. "Is that what I think….?"

"Mmmm," Zoey hummed as she looked down at the small opal ring she was wearing. "No, not exactly. It's more of a promise ring, actually. Zack and I are nowhere near ready to think about getting married. But one day, when we're done with school and found stable paying jobs, we do intend to start talking about it."

"Wow," Alvin smiled in amazement. "That's great. Can't wait to see that. Good for you."

"Thank you, Alvin."

_In a world that keeps turnin' and movin' so fast  
When you can't hold on to nothin' and nothin' seems to last  
It's so good to know that love still remains  
Ain't you glad that some things never change? _

Lucia knocked on the front door of the Anderson's home. Moments later, the mother of her friend Julie poked her head out.

"Oh, good morning, Lucia," Mrs. Anderson greeted.

"Hi, Mrs. Anderson," Lucia replied. "Is Julie ready? We were going to walk to school together today."

"I'm coming," Julie suddenly appeared behind her mother, slightly fumbling with the textbook she was holding to her chest.

"Good luck on your algebra test today, girls," Mrs. Anderson said, giving Julie a goodbye hug before waving to the two friends as they stepped out onto the sidewalk.

"Thanks, Mom," Julie waved back. "See you later." Once Mrs. Anderson had closed the front door, Lucia and Julie began to walk down the street, towards the direction of the nearest subway stop.

"So," Lucia began, turning to Julie as they went. "Would you like to stop by the Mona Lisa Café today after school? Bobby from P.E. was saying that they had pretty good fruit sorbet down there."

"That sounds nice," Julie agreed. Without further preamble, Julie reached out and took Lucia's hand, and the two girls continued on their way to school, holding hands as they went.

_Yeah, same as the sun keeps risin'  
Yeah, every day someone is findin' love  
Oh yeah  
_

Kris stood in front of an oil painting entitled '_Virgin and Child_,' which was among the paintings on display in the National Museum of Art of Romania.

"Okay," Kris announced, cocking her head to one side. "I understand that the baby in this paining is supposed to be Baby Jesus, but why did this Boccaccio Boccaccino guy have him standing up? I mean, it just doesn't make sense for a baby that small to be able to support his weight that well."

"Hmm," Rodolfo mused, stepping over to her side to glance at the painting as well. "Well, I once heard some alleged story about how Jesus made birds out of clay as a kid, and then brought them to life. Maybe this guy was one of the people who thought that Jesus actually did stuff like that when He was really young." After sharing a brief smile, the two continued on through the museum, pausing every now and then to comment on the other paintings and sculptures. They only stopped when their stomachs started to rumble in unison.

"I guess we'd better start asking the locals if there's any place to eat around here," Rodolfo shrugged.

"Good thing we got such good tips the other day," Kris pointed out. "That one family really loved that drawing you drew of that church."

"Actually, I think it was how quickly you were able to learn how to play the Romanian National Anthem on your fender," Rodolfo debated.

"Okay, so it was a joint effort," Kris relented, playfully bumping into Rodolfo with her shoulder. Rodolfo started to laugh in response, but paused when he caught sight of a familiar looking name out of the corner of his eye. Turning, he stared in amazement of a painting featuring an athletic looking woman wielding a sword, facing a tall menacing looking man with glowing red eyes. Swallowing convulsively, Rodolfo glanced quickly at the plaque next to the painting, which stated the painting was called '_Abigail Belmont Challenges the Moroi_.'

"Are you okay, Brown Eyes?" Kris asked in concern, reaching over to lightly squeeze Rodolfo's hand. "You look like you're going to be sick."

"No, it's…nothing really," Rodolfo looked back at Kris, the smile returning to his face. "Well…not much. It's just…" Rodolfo trailed off with a sigh, looking back at the painting once again. "Kris? Do you remember how Zack and I once promised to tell you a story sometime, about why our family didn't do vampire costumes on Halloween? We never did tell you that story, did we?"

"No, I don't think you did," Kris confirmed.

"Well, maybe it's time I kept my promise. I'll tell you all about it over lunch."

_In a world that keeps turnin' and movin' so fast  
When you can't hold on to nothin' and nothin' seems to last  
It's so good to know that love still remains  
_

Maureen and Joanne walked through the Marble Hill Cemetery, carrying eight roses each, with the fallen leaves crunching beneath their feet. The weather had begun to turn cold, and there was a promise of snowfall before the week's end.

"There they are," Maureen announced after a moment, pointing to four people who were standing together by four gravestones, clearly waiting for them to arrive. Like Maureen and Joanne, they were all carrying eight roses each.

Once they'd joined up with the small group, they were greeted with a series of friendly hugs.

"Glad you could make it," Mark smiled as he stepped back from hugging Maureen in greeting.

"We wouldn't miss this, Mark," Joanne smiled sadly, glancing around at Emily, Allison and Benny in turn. "This is important to all of us."

After a brief pause, the six friends slowly turned to the four gravestones in front of them, a respectful silence falling over them. One by one, they each went up to place a single rose at the base of the graves of Angel, Collins, Roger and Mimi.

"Wish you were here, guys," Mark whispered after a long moment. "We miss you more than we can ever say. Happy Halloween to all of you."

"And like we say every other time we come visit you," Maureen stepped in, wiping away a fresh tear as it slipped down her cheek. "Please try to be patient, and hold off on the party until we get there, too."

The six friends continued to stand unmoving for nearly a minute longer, simply gazing at the names of their lost loved ones. Finally, Allison cleared her throat.

"Well," she sniffed, her voice sounding muffled from suppressed tears. "We'd…better continue on. After all, we have four more people to visit while we're here, don't we?"

"Yeah," Emily nodded. "We do."

Together, the Bohemian family continued on their way, heading off to visit the graves of April, Nana Chang, Sergeant Kurtz, and Zack Goodhall in turn.

_Oh, when the world that keeps turnin' and movin' so fast  
When you can't hold on to nothin' and nothin' seems to last  
And it's sure good to know that love still remains  
Oh, ain't you glad that some things never change? Yeah  
Oh, ain't you glad that some things never change?  
Ooh, oh, some things never change_

_

* * *

_**AN:** As a final thought, credit for the song used in this chapter, _Some Things Never Change_, goes to the American country singer/songwriter, Sara Evans. I highly recommend that song._  
_


	19. Epilogue

Mark sat alone at the old metal table in the Condo, enjoying his day off. For a brief moment, he glanced out the window with a contented smile, watching the snow falling quietly outside, before turning his attention back to the letter that had arrived just the other day from Rodolfo. A sigh slipped through his lips as he reread the letter once again.

_ Dear Uncle Mark, Aunt Emily, Lucia and Zack (if you're there),_

_ Kris and I are doing fine. Austria was a really cool place; I wish you guys could have seen it with us. Kris adored the painted buildings in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and got a bit annoyed when I said it looked like we entered a Pinocchio storybook. _

_(Kris apparently has hated Pinocchio ever since she saw the Disney version as a kid and got nightmares about the Coachman's henchmen on Pleasure Island.)_

_In Munich, we decided to visit the Dachau Concentration Camp as well as this castle called Schloss Neuschwanstein, which was a retreat of Mad King Ludwig. We also stopped at Salzburg and saw the actual Von Trapp house. They even had the "I am 16, Going on 17" gazebo in the backyard. (However, you can't actually go in anymore because some stupid lady tried to jump from bench to bench or something like the girl did in the movie and wound up breaking her leg.) Anyway, I hope you enjoy the pictures we took of Austria, which we placed in the envelope with this letter, but I apologize in advance for some of them; Kris got a little too excited with our motel in Salzburg and took quite a few random shots of the bathroom and dining room._

_Yesterday, we arrived in Geneva, Switzerland. Turns out Switzerland isn't all mountains, chocolates and Ricola guys with alphorns. Although, I think they're big on clocks. Not only do they have this big historic clock tower, but Kris and I also heard about a flower clock. We're going to see if we can find it tomorrow, if we have time after the waterfront._

_I'm sorry to tell you that we're not going to make it home for Christmas this year. Kris and I were talking on our way to Switzerland, and we thought that it would be a good idea to spend the holiday in France. After all, we're already over here, and you don't often get an opportunity to spend Christmas in Paris, do you? I'll be missing you all this year, and I'll be thinking of you. So you can probably expect receiving a long distance call from me on Christmas sometime. Just not sure when I'll be calling, due to the time difference between New York and Paris. (I think Paris is five hours ahead of New York, right?)_

_Anyway, I think that's just about everything for now. It's getting rather late where we are, anyway, and Kris and I need to get some sleep if we want to be up and ready early in the morning. I promise I'll write again very soon._

_Miss you all,_

_Rodolfo_

_& Kris_

Once again, Mark sighed as he put down the letter. He still wished that Rodolfo would have been able to come back to the city to spend the holiday with the family, even if it was just for a day, but he could understand Rodolfo's reasons for wanting to spend Christmas overseas. Besides, it was clear from the numerous letters they'd received from his 'nephew' that Rodolfo and Kris still wanted to see more of Europe before returning home, and it _would_ be rather expensive to fly to New York and then go right back again, especially in this season. If they wanted to complete their backpacking trip across Europe, they needed to budget their money wisely.

After a momentary pause, Mark left the table for a couple of seconds, coming back with a pad of paper and a pen. Rodolfo's letters always ended with a postscript that stated where he and Kris would be staying next, just in case anyone wanted to send a letter to them in return. Now seemed as good a time as any to take advantage of this information, so Mark started to write out his reply.

_Dear Rodolfo and Kris,_

_ Thank you for the letter and the pictures. Emily, Lucia and I loved them, and we'll be sure to show them to Zack when he gets home from college tomorrow afternoon. We will be sorry that you won't be coming home this year, but we do understand why you're not. We will be thinking of you as well, and look forward to your phone call._

_ Speaking of phone calls, Mr. Schunard called the other day from Cleveland, just to say 'hello.' He and his daughter were thinking about coming up to New York for a few days to visit Angel and see how everyone's been doing. He asked how you were, and said he was very impressed with your decision to spend the year traveling. I'm sure he'll be sorry he missed seeing you, especially since you were the one who convinced him to try and make amends with his daughter._

_ It's very quiet in the Condo right now. Emily and Lucia have gone off to the mall with Maureen and Joanne to get the last few items on their Christmas/Hanukah gift list. As for me, I'm spending my day off watching April while Penny and James take Sammy out to see The Nutcracker. Penny was rather reluctant to leave her behind, but she admitted that she knew April wouldn't enjoy seeing the show until she's a bit older. In fact, April managed to settle down for her afternoon nap shortly after Penny and James left her with me. Once she wakes up, however, I plan on taking her out to the park for a bit of fresh air. After all, she does seem to enjoy seeing the snow._

_Once again, we will all miss you this year. Make sure you have a good time in Paris, and above all, make sure you and Kris stay safe._

_We all love you and miss you._

_Mark_

Putting the letter aside for now, knowing Emily and Lucia would want to sign it as well, Mark headed out into his bedroom, making his way to the crib that had been set up in there once again. An instant laugh escaped him at the sight of the baby girl who was lying inside, already awake and gazing up at him with wide eyes.

"Good afternoon, sweetheart," Mark cooed, reaching into the crib to pick up his infant granddaughter, who had been named April Mattie Cooke. "Did you have a nice nap?" April merely babbled in response, which enticed Mark to smile even wider.

This would be little April's first Christmas, and the entire Bohemian family were going all-out in making it extra special for her. Already, the Condo was filled with gifts for her, which he and Emily planned on bringing over to James and Penny's place on Christmas morning. Mark already knew what they contained, such as the baby brush and comb from Maureen and Joanne as well as the 'Baby's First Savings' piggy bank from Benny and Allison. He and Emily had had a good laugh about that one; leave it to Benny to give a gift related to money. Finally, he, and Emily had gotten a copy of _Pat the Bunny_ that came with a plush bunny, and Zack, Zoey, Lucia and Alvin had teamed up to track down the less-well-known sequels, _Pat the Puppy_, _Pat the Cat_, _Pat the Pony_ and _Tickle the Pig_.

As Mark carried April out into the living room, his thoughts were interrupted when April began to hold out her small arms, seemingly reaching for something on the bookshelf they were passing by. Wondering what April wanted, Mark glanced over to see the old picture that always resided there, which was a candid photograph of seven people dancing on a row of pushed-together tables at the Life Cafe. A distant look filled Mark's eyes as he remembered the night the picture had been taken by someone he'd long since lost contact with, on one snowy winter night at the Life Café. Had it _really_ been over twenty years since that night?

"You know who those people are, right?" Mark whispered to his granddaughter, pointing out four of the people in the photo. "You can recognize me, of course, and your great aunts, Maureen and Joanne. But these four people? That's your great uncle Roger and great aunt Mimi. And that's your great uncle Collins, with your great aunt Angel. You've never met them. But they would have adored you if they were here to see you. This picture was taken a long time ago, years before you were even born, but this was still a very important day for you. That was the night when our family was first formed."

Taking a deep breath, Mark removed the photograph from its place on the bookshelf and headed over to the old orange couch, where he sat down with April still cradled in his arms. Once they were settled, Mark allowed April to touch the smooth glass face of the photograph before he began to speak again.

"Once upon a time," Mark spoke softly, "there were two brothers, who lived in an abandoned music publishing factory. One brother made films, while the other spent his days writing songs, or at least _trying_ to. But they had a lot of trouble in finding work, because they didn't believe in giving up their ideals just to make money, so the brothers were quite poor, and they were cold and hungry a lot. But on one magical Christmas Eve, their whole lives changed forever. And it all began with a telephone call from across the street, an eviction notice, and a small unlit candle. "

Outside, the snow continued to fall as the filmmaker, who once had to live the life of a starving artist, retold the story of the Bohemian Family's origins to his baby granddaughter, who appeared to be listening intently.

* * *

**AN:** And there you have it. The final story in the Boho Kids Arc. Hope you enjoyed it. A thank you to all those who've stuck with me to this point, and an even bigger thanks to those readers who have left reviews. Honorable mention to EB91, LifeIsTooQuick, choklit_froggie and Maureen Elphaba Thropp for their fairly regular reviews throughout this story arc.

Moving on, I have to say that this will most likely be the last RENT story that I'll write. At least for now. Truthfully, I've gotten the impression that I lost a few readers along the way, which may be because I didn't focus on the adult Bohos that often during the Boho Kids arc. Whether or not I write more along the line will depend on what my readers want. (I have a list of story ideas on my profile page, if anyone's interested.) Either way, if I do decide to write those stories, it won't be for a while. Not only do I have a few real life demands, which will possibly continue for the next two years, I've also been neglecting some other fanfic projects in favor of this story arc. Now that it's over, I'm going to be devoting what little free time I have to completing those projects. Once they're out of the way, however, than anything's possible. (In a related story, for those of you who have read through this story arc, I would appreciate more votes on my profile page's poll, keeping in mind that if I do end up writing that story, it won't be until the other stories on my upcoming project list are completed.)

Once again, thank you for reading and a round of applause to those who've left me with reviews. Have a good rest of the year, and I hope to see all of you again at some point. See You.

P.S. How many of you know about the sequels to _Pat the Bunny_ before reading this epilogue? Because I'd already known about_ Pat the Puppy_ and_ Pat the Cat_, but I had never heard of _Pat the Pony_ or _Tickle the Pig_ until I looked up the _Pat the Bunny_ series in preparation for writing this. I have to say that, now that I know those books exist, I'm going to be keeping an eye out for them, just to see what I missed out on when I was a kid.


	20. AN: AIDS Awareness Day 'special feature'

On account of yesterday being AIDS Awareness Day, I felt I should post a small gift for those who have followed my RENT stories throughout the years. If you visit my profile, you'll find a link to a little family tree that offers some possibly surprising behind-the-scenes secrets for the characters that appear within my storyline. Hope you all enjoy.

In addition, what follows are some ideas that never made it into my stories:

-Once upon a time, I was only going to write one RENT story. The original ending of The Story Never Ends featured Emily and Penny leaving the city to travel the world, on account of the Bohos giving Emily the confidence to leave New York. However, I was asked to write a sequel. That sequel became a series of sequels.

-Early in the planning stages for Prank War, the Bohos went to a lodge instead of a spa resort, and one of the pranks involved someone being set afloat in the lake on a mattress, echoing the prank used in the '98 version of The Parent Trap. However, as I was writing the story, I found myself going in a whole different direction.

-At one point while I was writing You Can't Burn the Past to the Ground, I considered including a small scene that revealed Kingpin escaped because one of his followers had infiltrated the police force. The spy also erased all the information about Kingpin from the criminal history records, which resulted in the need for Rodolfo to make use of his artistic talent to create a police sketch of Kingpin. Unfortunately, I couldn't find room for it within the storyline and was forced to forget it altogether.

-I once toyed with the idea of Rodolfo and Lucia ending up together at one point. However, that idea was soon scrapped.

-While writing You Can't Burn the Past to the Ground, I debated having Emily dying from internal injuries after she was rescued and brought to the hospital. In the end, I decided that might be overkill, especially after everything that had happened. I'm too much for a happy ending. However, I didn't want to make it too sunshine and daisies, and knew I had to make it somewhat bittersweet. Therefore, I realized that I had to do away with Sergeant Kurtz.

Once again, thank you all for sticking with me throughout all my RENT stories. Happy AIDS Awareness Day.


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